Vl-Adam-Ir
by HeathenVampires
Summary: AU Adam!Vlad. Sequel to Adam's Story. Learning to juggle being Adam Giles, ordinary boy and Vladimir Dracula, The Chosen One is going to make the last of Adam's teenage years... interesting. Rated T for swearing/mentions of sex/dark themes.
1. Learning Curve

**Don't own. Yawn.**

 **So, I should be writing the start of Chosen Two Year Two but Adam's Story is my little love child to be honest, so this comes first!**

 **If there's anything glaring you feel I didn't deal well enough with in the end of AS or the start of this, do feel free to let me know.**

 **Otherwise, on we go!**

-VAI-

Adam was still trying to process the sheer onslaught of emotional information he'd gotten tonight, taking a glass of something green that tasted fruity but slightly strange from Ingrid. "So... half vampire. Dracula. Chosen One. What the hell has my life just turned into? Sounds like a TV show!" Ingrid nodded, her own drink dark and red and Adam was prepared to bet anything was blood. It tugged at some deeply buried part of him, but tonight was strange enough without him deciding to find out how humans tasted on the inside. "My son, the Chosen One. Already he's a chip off the old fang!" Adam raised an eyebrow at the jubilant tone of his father, Count Dracula. "I have to ask something. Not that I'm wishing you didn't in spite of everything, but why in the name of all that's holy did you guys move to Stokely? It's hardly dark and creepy here."

Ingrid smirked over at her father, Adam's heart still skipping a little at the sight but he pushed that away. "Close encounter with an angry peasant mob, dad drained the village elders and it sort of... outed us. Took us about three weeks to get here, how long was Erin in school before you saw me in the park?" "About a month, they'd only just moved here themselves, she and Ryan started the new school year with us. Speaking of which, where are they?" Ingrid scowled but pointed at one of multiple doors off the cavernous 'throne room'. "In the crypt, Ryan's going to need rest for a few days as he changes. Why do you even care after what she did to you?" Adam shrugged, sipping at his strange green drink. "She could have been killed for what she did tonight, she put her life on the line to protect you for my sake. I'm not saying forgive and forget, but she deserves credit where it's due." "You must be half human, a full vampire would be down there now draining her dry." "Quite right Ingrid, are you sure he's my son?"

"Hello, I'm right here!" Adam scowled between them for a moment. "Wait, if thats the case why aren't you down there Ingrid? And no, that's not an invitation for you to go turn the Noble siblings into matching half fangs, stay there or I'll see if I can make fire at you again!" The Count stopped short, staring at Adam in sheer surprise. Turning back to Ingrid, Adam raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Because it would hurt you. Even if you didn't know it, you had to be in love with her for her to not be put under the hypnosis." Adam picked up the strange crown that had literally turned his life upside down, rolling it between his hands. "Wait a moment, were you immune to the hypnosis too Ingrid?" "Yes. Before we discovered... mutual parenting we were... I wouldn't call it dating. I am fairly irresistable, it's hardly surprising he fell for me."

Tracing along the edges of the bones now, Adam chewed on his lip for a moment. "You knew. Before anything even really happened between us, you knew I had nightmares about vampires, about Count Dracula and you never said a word even though you had to know why." Ingrid sighed, not meeting his eyes for a moment. "It was all a little surprising, and we didn't really get into conversation for a while. By that point I didn't want to consider alternatives, not when I was falling for you... shut up dad!" The Count was making noises of displeasure at their conversation by now "but Valentines kind of pushed that all to the fore. I was going to tell you about your vampire half before you were sixteen, I swear."

Their father made an 'ahhh' noise of understanding then. "Yes yes, the Valentines disco, that was you in the hallway wasn't it? You looked like you'd been staked." "I was shocked! My mother gave me a drawing of my father months ago, to have the man himself looking identical only inches from my face right after... it was a lot to take in!" "After... oh. That is quite a surprise, even to a vampire of the world like myself." Standing up to pace around, buzzing with nervous energy, Adam was trying to think what to say next when a truly foul smell assaulted his senses. "What the blue blazes is that smell?" "Renfield." was echoed back at him from both Draculas without them even so much as looking up. He was about to ask what a Renfield was when a filthy, scruffy and boil covered man appeared, tattered clothing and greasy hair coming closer and Adam almost gagged at the smell.

"The slayer boy you bit is a slow one Master, and the slayer girl is asking to see the new Master." "Tell her to sit on a stake!" "Who's the new Master?" Ingrid was looking at the filthy creature in confusion. "Master Adam of course, he's one of you now isn't he?" Adam felt surprise light through him, but then realised what the man was saying. "Where is Erin? I want to see her." "Yes Master." Drawing a breath while the man moved away, Adam felt Ingrid catch up behind him as he followed 'Renfield'. "What is Renfield?" "Butler, slave, alchemist, disgusting. You name it." "Are vampire servants not allowed baths? Hellfire, he smells." "Wait til your vampire senses kick in." Adam grimaced at the thought of being able to smell the man even more, heading down a damp, mouldy stone stairwell to a room full of... coffins? Of course, vampires sleep in coffins. Naturally. Sighing to himself, Adam looked around the darkened room.

"I'm not a vampire yet, mind switching on the light?" Ingrid's fingers clicked behind him and the room was suddenly full of lit candles, Erin's blonde hair instantly obvious as she sat next to a coffin. Stepping closer, Adam could see Ryan lying prone in there. "Is he alright?" "He will be, just minus a pulse." Adam could feel Ingrid's scowl matching Erin's as the girls looked at each other. "He's only what, thirteen? Isn't he a little young to be turning into the undead?" Erin looked up at him then, guilt clear in her expression. "He's sixteen, so am I. We're non identical twins but he would never have spent every class with you without trying to stake you, and I was placed in whatever year group you were." Scrubbing a hand over his face, Adam sighed. "You aren't making this whole forgiveness thing easy. Anything else I should know? Get everything on the table."

Erin looked between Adam and Ingrid for a long moment, seemingly deciding whether or not to say whatever it was. Ingrid froze behind him before anything was actually said, and Adam was dreading whatever Erin was about to say. "I'm pregnant. And I'm not lying when I say it's only been you. In spite of Jonno Van Helsing trying it on alot." "Fuck." "I think that's what got us into this." A chuckle from Ingrid sounded behind him, and Adam cringed at the thought but asked anyway. "Well, given the slayers collection, it's fairly clear we were careful." "Not every time, especially not the last couple of months at school." That reminded Adam to turn around and look at Ingrid, given that he now realised they'd never even brought up condoms. She shook her head at his questioning eyes. "I couldn't get pregnant before sixteen. We mostly develop everything before that, as we age chronically slowly after sixteen but we aren't... matured until we transform." Adam nodded, feeling a measure of relief inside the horrifying realisation he was fathering a child before he himself was even sixteen.

"Damn, I'm basically one of those guys with no teeth and a cigarette doing DNA tests on a morning talkshow. Why can I go about making kids if you can't until sixteen?" "I'd imagine for the same reason you were able to get out of those fang cuffs, well done for hiding that by the way. Half human." Erin chipped in, and Adam nodded but continued feeling quite faint. "Half slayer, part human and part vampire. I think that kid might be even stranger than you." Shaking his head, Adam felt his knees shake as everything settled on his shoulders. "As much as I hate to say this, Erin feel free to take a coffin and get some sleep, I think Adam here is about to drop." Ingrid grabbed hold of Adam tightly and suddenly the world was blurring past him and they were back in the throne room. "What the hell was that?" "Speed travelling, or 'flitting'. Vampire thing, you'll get used to it." Adam nodded, feeling even dizzier now. "Why did I hear you telling the slayer girl to use one of my coffins Ingrid?" "Because she could have left with the others if you hadn't turned her brother you zombie brained dust pile." The Count growled low in his throat but didn't argue further.

"And no biting." Adam found the words fell from his mouth before he could stop them. "I am Count Dracula, the prince of darkness!" "And I'm the Chosen One, and from what I remember you've wanted a son and heir for some time. If you want me to stick around, you'll leave Erin alone. And Ingrid. They are important to me, so they are important to you if you want me compliant." Adam didn't feel half as impressive and intimidating as he sounded, but every scenario possible here had played out in his nightmares and the words came simply now they had a precedent. The Count made noises of displeasure but waved them off, and Ingrid led Adam to her bedroom and pushed him onto her bed. He gripped her arm before she could move away, pulling her with him. "Seriously?" "Not that, just want to feel you're safe." Ingrid sighed, pushing away from him again but Adam was gratified when she shrugged off her heavy leather clothing, replacing them with a black nightdress and letting Adam curl tightly round her to fall asleep almost instantly.

He slept fairly heavily, all things considered but too used to not sleeping well, it only lasted a few hours. He smiled gently when he saw Ingrid still asleep in his arms, wondering if the night before had been a really intense dream until he realised where he was. Looking at his watch, Adam realised it was only 6am and he was still in the t-shirt and shorts he'd gone to bed in. Unable to stop himself stretching, Adam hoped Ingrid wouldn't be angry with him for waking her as she stirred. She looked around in confusion, finding his anxious face and rubbing at her eyes. Adam would never ever be brave enough to mention just how... adorable Ingrid was in the short moments after waking, he valued his life more than that and Ingrid would probably actually kill him.

"What time is it?" "Just gone six in the morning." Ingrid nodded, her voice rough with sleep as she stretched herself. Looking around, Adam spied her bathroom door and wondered if his urgent bladder was worth letting go of her. Ingrid solved his dilemma for him by sitting up and leaning over to the side of her bed to reach for... a bottle of blood. That was going to take getting used to he thought. Standing up, Adam ambled over to the bathroom rubbing sleep out of his eyes, rinsing his mouth with toothpaste and mouthwash and relieving himself hurriedly so he could return to Ingrid. She looked hesitant when he curled back into the bed, complaining the castle was drafty and he was in shorts. "You hardly ever actually get cold though, so that was a terrible lie." "Worth a shot." Adam pulled Ingrid back against him, gratified when she didn't fight to get away, resting over his chest and letting him lace their free hands together.

"You're not making this sibling thing easy you know." Adam knew she was right, but couldn't resist winding her up a little as he stroked over her bare arm. "Like you said, you're pretty irresistable, how could I not fall for you?" Ingrid shivered in his arms, growling and moving to kiss him. "Damn you." Ingrid panted against his ear when they broke apart and Adam knew she could feel him hard against her. "I have an answer to your question by the way." Ingrid looked at him in confusion, wondering what on earth he was on about. "Erin did know she was sleeping with a boy who fucks his sister." Ingrid's eyes flashed red at him and it made Adam's heart race, and he could see her eyes widen as his pulse quickened. He was completely unprepared for Ingrid's... fangs, sharp and glowing in the dim candlelight of her 'crypt room' as she growled at him.

"You really think now is the best time to be bringing up your pregnant slayer girlfriend?" Ingrid pressed her hips harder into his, and Adam promptly shut up as she kissed him roughly, the points of her sharp canines against his tender lip a whole new kind of erotic. A minutes fumbling with his clothes and he was naked beneath her, whimpering as he pushed her nightdress up and feeling her sink down on him. It was frantic, Ingrid stronger and rougher now as her fangs pierced his shoulder, filling him with pain and pleasure and heat until he buckled beneath it all. Ingrid quaked against him then, clutching at his arms while he held her waist to steady her until she stilled, moving to kiss him softly and he could feel the tears on her face.

He wiped her cheeks with his thumbs gently as they seperated, ignoring the twinges of pain across his body where she'd mauled him in favour of taking in her face. Ingrid didn't look much different from the last time he'd saw her still basically human but there were differences, like no pulse beating beneath his fingers when he moved to trace her neck. "What are you doing?" "Looking for changes, this is my future now isn't it?" Ingrid nodded, moving off him now and tossing his shorts back at him. Taking the hint, Adam pulled them on, holding his t-shirt while he looked at the marks on his shoulder. "Am I a vampire now?" "No you worm, how can I turn you when you're already going to turn?" "Well I don't know, the only things I know about vampires are what happened in my dreams." "Get dressed, I'll introduce you to the library." Adam nodded, pulling on his t-shirt and taking the opportunity to watch Ingrid dress.

She rolled her eyes when she saw him looking, 'flitting' him off again to the throne room. "This is the library?" Ingrid turned him round, pointing him to a large book case. "Oh." Ingrid handed him a book about 'the change' and Adam sat down, squinting to read the small font and finding a lot of things about growing fangs and craving blood. The chapter on early signs surprised him, things like his shorter temper and love of barely cooked meat suddenly having a reason. "What's this about hypnosis? I mean, I figured last night was because I had the fancy hat on, am I supposed to be able to do that now?" Ingrid nodded, the strange man called Renfield offering 'young Master Adam' a glass of some almost black liquid. Ingrid nodded to say it was safe so Adam sipped at it. He'd describe it as cola, if cola were so flat it tasted like it had been poured through concrete or something first. Supposing he had a lot to adjust to, the unpleasant drink was the least of his problems as he looked back over to Ingrid.

She called out "dad", though not very loudly but their father still dropped out of nowhere into the room, looking around. "What what?" "Half-ling here needs to learn how to do hypnosis, if he doesn't start learning to master his powers his transformation might kill him." "What?!" Adam wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. "It's fine, you are going to learn so you'll live. Unlive. Whatever." "It's alright for you, I've had my entire future torn out and replaced with a weird title and no sunlight and drinking blood!" Adam was starting to get anxious again, his chest feeling tight as the sheer magnitude of how much his life had changed, how much it would change in a little over a year. Ingrid pushed him back into his chair, squeezing at his bitten shoulder and the pain helped him breathe out a little easier. "Some things haven't changed then."

Nodding, Adam tried to master his heavy breathing and shake away the dark thoughts. "Where's Erin? I want to check she's alright." "Why? She's a slayer, she came here to kill us and almost got you killed too!" "And she's pregnant and alone, she risked her life for me and Ingrid and helped save you, now shut up!" Adam growled out the last words, a strange timber echoing his words and thunder rumbled in the air. "Whoa, that's impressive." Adam looked over at Ingrid in confusion then. "Typical Dracula temper tantrum, but normally you need to be transformed to do that." Shrugging, Adam repeated his question of Erin's whereabouts. "You might be my father biologically, but I am not about to sit quietly and let you try and mould me into whatever you expected your son to turn out like. You bit her brother, you alienated them both from their family. You are entirely responsible for the beginning of everything going on now! The least you can do is stop sulking like a child!" Thunder crackled along with his voice again then, and Adam was starting to get angrier than he wanted to.

"Me? Sulk! I am the prince of darkness!" Rolling his eyes, Adam felt like he was with Robin throwing a tantrum again. "Does he do this alot?" Ingrid nodded, holding out her hand to lead him down to the crypt. Ryan was still out cold, Erin asleep on her side with a stake clutched in her hand. "Smart for a slayer." Adam reached carefully to shake Erin awake, Ingrid a safe distance away until Erin realised who was waking her. "You look like hell." "You suit a coffin surprisingly well for a vampire slayer. Are you alright?" Erin nodded, letting Adam help her out of the coffin and leaning over to check on Ryan. "Slayers blood fights the change, he'll be up and about in a day or so." Erin nodded at Ingrid, looking between her and Adam before shrugging to herself. "I have no idea what either of you think of the other, and frankly I don't really care right now. Can you just tolerate each other for now, or at least avoid each other?"

They both glared at each other for a moment before nodding together, and Adam rubbed a hand through his hair. "Fuck, my life has literally turned into a sitcom. And I have to go back to my mum and George tonight, who have no idea about anything that has happened and try not to lose my mind and work out how to deal with turning into a fucking vampire. Oh, and I've helped make a part slayer, part human, part vampire baby. What on earth is going to happen there?" Adam leant against the wall, dropping to wrap his arms around his knees and rocking back and forth slightly. "No idea, dimidius are not even technically allowed to happen, let alone sleeping with... slayers." Ingrid said the word distastefully, shooting a glare over at Erin. "I'm not a slayer anymore. Can't do anything about the slayers blood thing, it's supposed to make us less attractive to vampires but apparently over time it mutates and makes us more so." "They actually do something to your blood?" Erin nodded, lifting her t-shirt sleeve to show a scar up by her shoulder. "I did wonder what that was."

"I'm sorry, did I hear talk of a part slayer, part vampire baby? What on earth has my dear son been up to?" The Count appeared behind them all then, looking between Adam on the floor and Erin and Ingrid switching between glaring at each other and looking down at Adam. "Too many things I should never have done." "Ah, you'll fit in well then!" Looking up in confusion, Adam wasn't sure what to make of that statement. Looking at his father, Adam could see more passing resemblances in his face. Erin followed them when he staggered to his feet, heading up the stairs with... the Draculas. "I'm not changing my name, but I guess I'm curious about the names in my dreams. Would you have called me Vladimir? And who is Bertrand du Fortunesa?" The Count, who had just thrown himself elegantly over his throne as Adam and the two girls sat at the table. "Vladimir? Yes yes, a good name for a son. Why do you ask?" "In my dreams Vlad was who I saw things through, and he was Count Dracula's son."

"No idea who the other name is, but yes, Vladimir Dracula. A good name. Are you sure you won't change it?" "I'm Adam Giles, no matter what." "Oh yes, very vampiric." Adam rolled his eyes at Erin then. "In my defence, I was not aware I was supposed to be any kind of vampiric until what, less than twelve hours ago when my woodwork teacher kidnapped me outside my house." "Yeah, they were thrilled to be involved." "Why were there so many other vampires here last night?" The Count gestured at the crown, still casually sat on the table like it wasn't the catalyst of Adam's apparently powerful future. "We were here to crown the new Grand High Vampire, he was dusted. The slayers must have been plotting this for months! In my castle!" The butler/slave type man appeared again, offering round the vile cola-based drink and a box of cornflakes. The sight of something so... normal amongst all the madness made Adam burst out laughing, earning him strange looks from everyone else. "I'm sorry, but there are cornflakes in Castle Dracula. That's strange!" He couldn't stop laughing, Erin soon joining him giggling at his exuberant reaction and Ingrid's mouth twitching at the side. "I've sired an idiot! Why am I cursed this way?"

-VAI-

 **The end of the chapter is a terrible place to end, but otherwise I'd just keep going and going rather than actually posting this.**


	2. Adam or Vladimir

**Nope, don't own.**

 **I only started this yesterday but I'm low on inspiration for Chosen Two and full of ideas for this... So here we are.**

 **And on we go!**

-VAI-

"I'm not an idiot, but in amongst everything I've seen and heard and found out in the last twelve hours, a box of perfectly ordinary cornflakes is a little strange" Adam managed to pant out as he fought to stop chuckling. "If you say so. We are going to have to do something about your name however, while the vampires and slayers forgot you are the Chosen One, they are going to notice we are short one Grand High Vampire and one Crown of Power fairly quickly! If we present Adam Giles to them, they'll work out you are half human and tear you to shreds." "Cheery image, thanks Ingrid." Adam crunched on dry cornflakes, he rarely got away with it at home as George hated him doing it but she wasn't here. "Mind you, it would help me work out what to do next if I'm dead. I have school, and a bloody paper round and a little sister, and then I have a future as a super vampire leader, a vampire family and oh yeah, a baby on the way. What on earth were you thinking, making something like me happen?"

The Count's face twitched, the man really had a variety of odd facial expressions. "I was drunk! I went to the festival to cheer myself up after seperating from Magda again, I wanted a son after the first one turned out to be a girl and she refused!" "And?" His father looked at Adam like he was crazy. "What do you mean, and?" "You can't force someone to keep having children because you're a biased idiot who thinks boys are better than girls." Ingrid and Erin were both looking at him in surprise. "My mum and step-dad always raised us to know girls can do anything boys can. Look at George, she's a genius and can beat men three times her age and size up a rock wall without breaking a sweat." "Yes, well, had you been raised properly you'd know better!"

Looking down at the crown Adam was apparently destined to inherit great power and position from, he picked it up. "This says different. What if the reason I was chosen was to show vampires the error of their ways? You wouldn't need me to lead vampires to glory if you hadn't fucked up somewhere in the past." Erin was watching him closely now, clearly contemplating his words. "Are you really so devastated by my being pregnant?" Adam felt the anger leak out of him at the look on her face. "No, of course not. It's just... a lot to take in all at once you know? Not to mention it wouldn't have happened if I weren't some half breed the slayers wanted a DNA sample" Adam cringed "from. That doesn't mean I blame the baby for happening ok?" Erin nodded, though Adam could now feel Ingrid's eyes on him.

"Well, at least you've got some fire in you even if you're full of all these strange ideas about things like equality." Rolling his eyes, Adam was beginning to understand why Ingrid's mother didn't stick around their father permanently. "So what's the deal with this?" He held up the crown. "I've still got GCSEs to take, not sure I want to be a Grand High Vampire... whatever that means." Something in him told him not to put it back on yet, it wasn't the right time. "You won't be able to take them, you can't go to school again once you're sixteen. No sunlight remember? Which reminds me, he's already missed two blood tests." "Blood tests?" Adam resumed his crunching of dry cornflakes, feeling like the list of things to catch up on just kept growing. "Vampire exams. You need to pass all of them to get your powers when you turn sixteen, though I wonder how much that would affect you." "How am I supposed to pass vampire exams? I only found out I was one today!"

"I'll register him as Vladimir Dracula with the VHC tonight, explain I had an illicit affair with some vampiress who dropped him off on my door step and he didn't know he had tests. Which means you, darling daughter, need to get him ready!" Ingrid scowled and Adam raised an eyebrow, being offered more of the strange green drink by the smelly butler man. "Sis?" They all turned as one to see Ryan, looking pale and exhausted as he looked at Erin. "What happened?" "You've been bitten Ryan, you're turning." Ryan took in the rest of the room, hissing and baring fangs at Adam. "What are you doing with him? And the rest of these vamps?" "He doesn't know?" Erin shook her head, placing a protective hand over her still flat stomach. "Oh no, please tell me it's not true." "Don't you touch her!" Ryan hissed again, advancing on Adam as he stood in front of Erin.

"You did this! Created some abomination with my sister!" "If I remember rightly, it was the slayers guilds idea she bed me in the first place. Didn't you pay attention in sex ed? Condoms are efficient, not perfect." "You boy, leave the offspring alone!" Adam watched in surprise as Ryan obeyed the Count, dropping his head and moving back. "Oooookay then, what's that about?" Ingrid flipped through the book Adam had been reading, pushing it over to him. "When you turn someone into a vampire, they become thralls, loyal to their sire. In rare cases, the thrall can break but it is relatively unheard of. It also makes a difference if the vampire has feelings for the breather they turn, this can prevent the thrall from holding, much like hypnosis. So Ryan has to do as he says?" Ingrid nodded, pointing at Ryan who was now sitting quietly.

"Renfield!" "Yes master?" "Fetch my new son and heir a coffin, he can take the tower room." "Immediately!" Adam stood back up then, not liking the sound of this. "I am not sleeping in a coffin!" Ingrid added there was already a breather bed up there anyway, though it would probably need new mattress and linens and the like. "I can deal with that, it's not like I'm going to live here." "What?" Feeling like he was on a revolving platform as he had to keep turning to talk to people all over the room, Adam sighed. "I am not leaving my mum and George! I don't even know you yet, and they are my family. Right now you're just the guy who got drunk with her years ago and condemned me to a future without a pulse!" His voice roughened on the last words and Adam fought to master his temper - he couldn't be doing that around everyone else.

Sighing, Adam scrubbed a hand over his face. "The school holidays are coming up, if George can be safe coming here then I can study for these vampire tests properly then, and take some books with me today to read when I'm home?" "Very well, bite proof guarantee for the... Giles family if it's in the name of you studying for blood tests." Studying for a blood test sounded ridiculous, it just made Adam picture a table full of needles. Shaking his head, Adam tried to work out what to do next. "Renfield, ready the hearse, Adam, Erin and Ryan need to collect some things." The servant nodded reluctantly and headed out through the doors. "Hearse. Naturally." Ingrid handed Adam a pile of books, saying he could drop them off in his room when they went to pick up his old bed - the frame was busted but the rest was still useable. Ryan's skin smouldered in the weak morning sunlight as he dashed to climb into the - sunproof windowed - vehicle, and Adam felt confused by everything more as they climbed into the car usually used to carry coffins.

Erin - the only one who could come outside without burning - helped Adam drop the books off stealthily, and thankfully his mum was out at work and George was obviously at the Branagh house as Adam piled together some clothes and things he'd want if he spent the night at Castle Dracula, then wrestled his old mattress and bed covers into the hearse, adding his bedroom TV as an afterthought - he rarely used it. They hurried away before George could spot Adam around the place, and Erin went into her house alone - they'd still recognise Adam even if they'd forgotten the previous night. She came out with a few bags they piled into the hearse, then it was back to the castle and the Count showed off his 'powers' by floating things all over the place as they 'moved in'. He pitched a fit at the idea of Erin staying too, which led to yet another argument of Adam pointing out it was his fault Erin and Ryan could no longer go home.

"I don't want to cause a rift between you and your... family." Adam sighed as he and Erin split space in his new tower room, feeling like the two halves of himself were a clean break he now had to work out how to fit together and solve his life. "You're pregnant, and I'm partly responsible for that. I'm not going to turn my back on that, even if it's going to take time for me to work out how to get past everything that's happened." Erin still looked sad, so Adam mastered his emotions and pulled her into a hug. "We'll figure it out, but for now this is all we can do. My mum thinks my father is harmless enough so I'll be able to get away and stay here sometimes, and you can still go to school for the rest of this school year at least." Erin nodded against him and Adam was truly surprised by the courtesy when Ingrid knocked before entering the room. "Cozy." Rolling his eyes, Adam kept one arm around Erin and pulled Ingrid against him with the other.

"I'm sorry for being the cause of all this." Ingrid wriggled free first, and Erin pulled away soon after, wiping her eyes. "Count Dracula started this, and the slayers guild had a hand in it. It could be much worse, you could not care about everything you've done." Remembering the lack of guilt he'd felt about hurting Robin before, it gnawed at his chest with guilt now so he nodded. "I guess. I have to ask, how long have you known about me and Ingrid, and us being related?" Every time he thought he was getting his head straight, Adam found another question to ask. "January? I'm amazed nobody crossed wires there, given that Robin was involved early on?" "Does it bother you?" Erin's eyes filled with multiple feelings, too many for Adam to understand. "I think it would be worse if you'd known before that you were related, but given that I couldn't give you up after... I got what was needed, I can hardly judge you two for the same. It's still unconventional, but then nothing about this is all that normal anyway. And I know you tried to stop, everyone at school thought you two were about to kill each other at any moment since Valentines."

Both looked in surprise when Ingrid held out a pale hand to Erin. "Truce then? Hurting you would hurt him, and apparently we're both stupid enough to fall for the idiot." "Gee, thanks." Adam felt a spike of relief when Erin nodded, taking the offered hand. "Half vampire, half human and getting vampires and slayers to get along. Definitely a strange one Adam Giles." Adam shrugged at Erin, unsure where to go from here. "I just wanted to be a normal boy, I don't recognise myself from when we first moved to Stokely last year. Blimey, has it really only been a year?" Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Adam moved to look out of the tower window, making sure Ingrid was clear of the light before he opened the shutters. "Who knew so many things that only existed in story books could come together in this strange little town? What next, werewolves?" Barely moving out of the way as Ingrid flicked a hand to close the shutters, she smirked at him. "Remember I said my mum left dad? It was for a werewolf. My baby brother is half vampire, half werewolf."

Erin made a sound of surprise, though Adam barely contained his. "Right. Werewolves exist too. Naturally. If it weren't stranger even than my dreams I'd be expecting to wake up any minute. Speaking of which, you said my dreams were my two halves at war, will they stop now?" "They should ease off, but I don't think they'll stop completely until you're eighteen." "I thought the transformation was sixteen, why eighteen?" Ingrid looked unhappy about what she had to say now. "Because while you'll transform at sixteen, at eighteen... You could change back if you wanted to." "I could what? I thought vampirism was eternal, since you're immortal." Sitting down on the bed, Adam saw Erin and Ingrid sit either side of him, something oddly fitting about the two sides of himself represented in Erin's light hair and bright smile against Ingrid's dark smirk and darker hair.

"You're dimidius, made of two halves. On your eighteenth birthday you can choose to give up your vampire side, become human." "Well, that's a problem for another day. We don't know what the baby is going to be like, if it turns out they are vampire enough to be immortal I can't leave them like that. Fuck, I really am going to be a father. Guess I take after my father after all." The three of them shared a chuckle at that, some of the tension in the room lifting. "Speaking of which, we better get back downstairs before he comes up here thinking something is going on." Checking his watch, Adam was surprised to find it was only just gone midday, everything having taken place in all of twelve hours. Ryan was gone when they returned, apparently returning to sleeping in the crypt as his turning took a toll on his slayers blood.

"So, all settled my new son, and his strange breather/slayer pet?" "Her name is Erin, and yes." They all turned in surprise when the castle doors flew open, and a collective shudder ran through the room. "Happy Birthday Ingrid!" Adam looked up to see a woman clad in a lot of red sat on top of a coffin literally gliding into the room. "That's my mum, Magda." "Makes me wonder what your mum looked like back when your dad met her Adam." Erin giggled to the side of him, more at ease than he expected as a new vampire literally appeared in the room. "What are you doing here, you treacherous witch?" Adam leaned over to Ingrid then, Erin listening in as he whispered. "I'm guessing your parents have a few issues?" "Just the usual. Lying, cheating, multiple murder attempts. I wasn't even expecting her." Shaking his head as he tried to process, Adam thought he could see a faint resemblance to Ingrid but they'd both clearly inherited a lot of their bone structure from their father.

"I came to see our daughter for her coming of rage, as I expect you completely failed to do so." Sipping at his drink, Adam watched the odd dynamic of Ingrid's vampire parents. "I have a breather she could bite, look!" They all turned to Erin, who looked confused at the notion. "Nobody is biting anyone, that's disgusting." Both Erin and Ingrid smirked at Adam, his body was littered with bite marks and scars from them both. "Not what I meant, I meant Erin is not some kind of birthday dinner." "And who are you?" The vampire woman blurred, reappearing behind Adam fast enough to make him jump. "Vladimir Dracula, but you can call me Adam. Vladimir is too formal." The Count gave Adam a look of surprised approval for his quick thinking then, before resuming his scowling at Ingrid's mother. "Dracula? How old are you?" "I'll be fifteen next month."

"Mum, don't even think about complaining. Where is Barry anyway? Or Patrick for that matter?" The woman scowled, clearly unhappy with Ingrid's apparently very true points. "Barry is fine by himself, and Patrick is off with his brother waiting for me to... That isn't important, it's time to celebrate you coming of age!" Ingrid's mother clicked her fingers, and Renfield appeared pushing a large... coffin, with a very interesting design of a vampiric looking girl all in purple. "My own coffin!" Not totally understanding, but happy Ingrid was happy, Adam smiled to himself as Ingrid rushed over to admire it. The three teens took the coffin to Ingrid's crypt room, setting it up on a stand that Adam was sure wasn't there when he left her bed this morning. "So, that's your mum?" "Yeah, I give it five minutes before dad is drooling all over her, then maybe a couple of hours before they try to kill each other again." "So what, should we hide?" Ingrid shook her head, laughing. "Well, I'm not hiding in here. Time to raid the kitchen while Renfield isn't in there concocting who knows what."

Given that all they'd actually eaten was dry cornflakes, though Ingrid had drunk blood Adam wasn't sure how the balance of blood versus food worked, Adam nodded. "Wow, this is an interesting kitchen." There were jars of things Adam never wanted near food like "beetle spit", "dung beetles" and "bat vomit". "Renfield's an alchemist, half of this stuff is potion ingredients." Erin looked mildly nauseous as she perused the shelves of bizarre things, squealing when she found a dead cockroach. "This can't be healthy." "It's fine, the insects are from Renfield collecting them for dads food, not from the place being untidy." Erin did not look like she agreed with Ingrid's assessment, but both girls were amused when Adam found steaks. "Definitely a Dracula then, though that would mean you can't cook." "I can cook! I take care of George!" "Didn't she say you managed to burn cornflakes last time I was at your house?" Adam felt his cheeks flush.

"I'm going to kill her, when did she say that?" Erin grinned cheekily. "While you were getting changed because Robin spilt milk on your shirt?" "In my defence, I was seven and all I did was put the 'toasted corn flakes' in the toaster. The firemen thought it was hilarious. Anyway, my point is, I can cook!" Both of them looked at Adam's skinny frame for a moment, and Adam felt guilty for the state he'd let himself get into. "I know." They both seemed to realise they were staring, looking back up. "So, steak then?" Adam was amused to find that Erin had been a vegetarian at one point, but had given up recently after seeing Adam eat his chicken dinosaurs happily and started stealing them. "Plus, part vampire baby, you'll never cope without meat." Erin nodded at Ingrid, and both girls watched in amusement as Adam tried to figure out the kitchen.

"Show off." Erin smirked when Ingrid lit the cooker with a flick of her wrist, Adam barely cooking his own meat before declaring it done and recieving strange looks off both girls. "Does that not make you ill?" "No, I've had it like that since I was about nine. George has hers practically cremated, mum has it just about done but Michael used to have his like I do." Erin's was much like his mums, cooked through just about but Ingrid somewhere in between. It was a surreal moment, stood around the tiny, packed kitchen eating steaks with his sister and his pregnant slayer girlfriend as they discussed personality quirks without anyone trying to kill each other. "Told you I can cook" Adam smirked at both girls looks of approval when they'd eaten, heading back upstairs to find... The Count and Magda holding pistols on each other.

"You weren't kidding, they really do try to kill each other." Ingrid sat back at the table like it was perfectly ordinary television, so Adam and Erin followed bemusedly. "Your skin is too pink!" "Your fangs are too short!" "You're so... fat!" Adam lost it at this point, falling into laughter at the ridiculous insults they threw at each other. "This is a vampire fight to the death? I've been worried for nothing!" When the teens recovered from laughing, though Ingrid mostly focused on painting her nails while Adam and Erin laughed, the two adult vampires were kissing and talking in creepy flirtatious ways. "That's gross." Renfield appeared at the door then, the Branaghs and Adam's mother and sister in tow. "Happy Birthday Ingrid! Oh, hello Adam. I forgot, you're her brother aren't you?" Fighting the grimace at the reminder, Adam nodded, though it was evident nobody remembered last night as they were all perfectly relaxed.

Under both girls watchful gazes, Adam munched on the party food Mrs Branagh and his mum had brought along, sitting and chatting with George and Robin and trying not to blurt out any of the strange things he'd learned in the last few hours. Under the guise of asking where the bathroom was Adam managed to disappear down a hallway with Ingrid for a moment, kissing her desperately before remembering why he'd needed to speak to her. "They are going to expect me to go back with them when they leave, will I see you tonight?" Ingrid pressed harder against him, nodding. "No point pretending we're going to fight this now is there?" Lips meeting again, Adam felt his heart race beneath her hand on his chest. "Will Erin be safe here if you leave?" "She's going to sleep with garlic across the door and windows and a stake in her hand, she'll be fine. I won't leave until she's safely in your room here." Not bothering to ask why Ingrid knew that, or whether it was just something a slayer would generally do, Adam indulged in kissing her once more before trying to straighten his appearance as they headed back to the 'party'.

Leaving was physically painful, Erin saying she'd meet them by his house in the morning for school to walk with them as he hugged her goodbye while the Branagh children and George wolf-whistled. "Be careful yeah?" Erin nodded, brushing a gentle kiss over his cheek as he forced himself to leave with his family. Adam climbed into the shower when he got home, feeling some of the exhaustion and anxiety of the day wash away and looking at the puncture wounds on his shoulder as he brushed his teeth. Knowing his mum would want a progress report of sorts Adam pulled on pyjamas and sat down with tea, which felt strange after the weird drinks in the castle, and chatted with his mum. "Why was Erin there with you?" "Ingrid invited her to her birthday party, she just got there early." was the best Adam could answer, given how he wasn't going to explain the truth. "So, did you have a good day with your... your father?"

"It was... interesting. And alot to take in, but I guess I'll learn to juggle visiting him and everything else. They said it's fine for me to take George with me up there too if you're working and she's not at the Branaghs like she usually is, so it's all workable. I even have my own room there already, in the tower, the view from my window is awesome!" Seeing the sun go down, Adam was itching to get to his room to wait for Ingrid and claimed he had to be up early for his paper round as he headed off to bed. Stripping down to his pyjama bottoms, Adam pushed open his window and sat at his desk, flicking through one of the books he'd brought back and feeling his mind groan in frustration at all the weird things he was supposed to learn. "Getting an early start?" Adam turned, feeling his heart skip as he saw Ingrid stretched out across his bed. "Just passing the time until you got here." Adam let Ingrid pull him on top of her, some part of him wondering how he could keep doing this with his sister but uncaring as he felt cool skin beneath his hands.

-VAI-

 **Bit heavy in the information/emotional discussions I guess, but hopefully it's not too bad!**


	3. Shattered Pieces

**Don't own.**

 **I should try focusing on my other work, but I love this/Adam's Story so much I just want to write more!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Ingrid was more responsive, muffling sounds of pleasure as she shook beneath his touch, his body. Now they'd accepted and admitted they weren't stopping, there was none of the previous guilt as they touched and kissed the other more. "I love you" fell from Adam's mouth more than once, the fanged bite mark on his shoulder tingling whenever she brushed her fingers or lips over it. Barely remembering to set his alarm as Ingrid settled back in his arms, Adam only just caught her whisper of "I love you too" as he held her tighter. It felt unbelievably strange to hear his alarm waking him, shaking Ingrid awake and carefully creeping to and from the bathroom, dressing quickly and sneaking out of the front door.

Ingrid pinned him to the wall, kissing him roughly until Adam was panting and shaking against her. "Fuck Ingrid, if you don't stop I'm not going to get my paper round done." Even in the dark Adam could see her smirking, pressing another kiss on him before she 'flitted' off. Shaking his head to clear the haze Ingrid often left him with, Adam climbed on his bike and hurried through his round. Going home, he hurried to change into his uniform and pour coffee down his throat - Ingrid was rarely conducive to a full nights sleep, not that he was complaining.

Erin was early, clearly anxious to see him when he found her at the door in her uniform before George was even downstairs. Glancing to check the room was empty, Adam kissed her in greeting. "You look tired." Adam nodded, realising he hadn't been using his concealer the last two mornings. "Still slept better than I have in months, the dreams have eased off the last two nights." George blinked in confusion when she found Erin drinking tea and eating toast in their kitchen. "How late am I?" Adam smiled as he pushed breakfast at George. "You aren't munchkin, Erin was just early. Ryan's dropped out of school for health stuff, so she's going to walk with us now." George accepted this, getting toast crumbs all over her uniform which their mum promptly brushed off as she passed, already dressed for work.

"Morning Erin, you're welcome of course but why are you here? Is Adam having illicit sleepovers I don't know about?" Adam gave his mum the same explanation he'd given George while Erin chuckled next to him, she was clearly aware Ingrid had spent the night whereas his mother and sister weren't. "George, go wash your face again, I don't know how you get butter all over your nose!" George giggled as she dashed off, full of energy. "Are you heading up to the castle after school? Just so I know whether to come pick you up on the evening?" "Depends on if I'm up to date on my homework, but probably. I'll text you, let you know if George is with me or next door?" His mum nodded, kissing his forehead and then George's when his sister returned before leaving for work.

"Have a good day kids!" "Bye mum!" "Bye Mrs Giles." Erin had been told multiple times to call her Sally when she'd been over for dinner and the twins birthday party, but always reverted back to Mrs Giles. The Branaghs blinked in confusion just like George when Erin opened the door while Adam shoved George's lunchbox in her bag. "Oh hello Erin, are you joining our little walking group?" The blonde girl nodded, walking on Adam's other side when Robin fell into step with them as they headed to Stokely Grammar. "Feels so strange, so much happened over the weekend and now we're just going back to school like nothing is different." Nodding in agreement as Erin sat next to him, Adam felt acute loss as he looked at Ingrid's empty seat.

"You barely saw her what, four hours ago? And you'll see her this evening one way or the other surely?" Erin whispered under the cover of chairs scraping as everyone settled in for the day at school. "Yeah, I guess." Adam struggled to focus on school, his mind still whirring from the weekends discoveries and a deep part of him acknowledging he wouldn't need school now but not wanting to disappoint his mum by letting his grades slip before then. Erin was clearly unable to resist him, pulling him into the empty art classroom it was rather likely they'd conceived a child in while Robin disappeared off to see his girlfriend again. Righting their clothes after, Adam couldn't help smiling slightly at the soft, open expression on Erin's face.

She wrapped her arms around him for a moment, murmuring "I love you" into his shoulder, and Adam found it easier than he thought to return the sentiment. "I don't know how you and Ingrid put up with me though, this whole situation is all kinds of crazy and you two are handling it better than me, when according to television you should want to kill each other at least a little bit." Erin moved to look up at his face, bright eyes meeting his. "I've given up slaying so I can't want to kill her, as for Ingrid I imagine it's a mix of not wanting to hurt you and enjoying watching you stand up to your father with your surprisingly 'Dracula' temper." Chuckling, Adam kissed Erin before checking his watch. "Whoops, break was over ten minutes ago. No way are we going to class now, it'll be so obvious."

"Come on. Nurses office, you can say I was feeling sick. Which is going to likely be true soon." "How... far are you?" Erin looked down between them, her stomach still flat and concealing the strange hybrid child they'd created. "About two months now, I'm surprised I haven't had much sickness yet. Maybe it's a vampire baby thing." Adam shrugged, he had no idea and they headed to the nurses office together. Erin played 'feeling ill' exceptionally well, the nurse casting suspicious glances between them before kicking Adam out. He headed back to class, mumbling about taking Erin to the nurse and ignoring Robin's knowing grin as he sat down. Erin was released by lunchtime, looking mildly confused by the 'lunch' Renfield had made her. "Ingrid swears everything he makes is perfectly safe to eat, and I've seen her eat it herself so you should be fine." Adam even took the inaugural bite, somewhat surprised when the slightly green bread tasted perfectly fine.

By the end of the day Adam was fighting the urge not to just run to the castle, ducking into his house with George to change out of his uniform and waiting to see what his sister wanted to do. "I'm going to the Branaghs, you can take me to the castle tomorrow since mum's at work in the afternoon ghost boy!" Adam nodded, ruffling her hair affectionately as she sped past, offering Erin a quick hug on her way to which the blonde girl laughed. "That girl is a whirlwind, how is so much genius and energy contained in that tiny creature?" "She's growing though, she barely reached my stomach when we moved and now she crushes my ribcage when she gives me a big hug." Making sure he had all his homework things, Adam led Erin out of the house and found his mum returning from work. "George is next door, I'm heading up to the castle."

"Shall I pick you up before or after dinner?" Adam pondered before answering after, he was more concerned about spending time with Ingrid and Erin than he was regular mealtimes. They got a knowing smirk from his mother as they headed off, and Adam remembered the bruise Ingrid had left on his neck that his mum thought Erin was responsible for before. The castle doors swung open to admit them before Adam had even gone to knock, walking through in mild confusion, explaining to Erin why his mum thought she knew something was going on between them. For some reason, this amused Erin greatly and the Count found the two at the table in the throne room, Erin giggling heartily. "Ah, my son. How was your... breather school day? That's a fatherly thing to ask, isn't it?" Mildly confused but nodding, Adam answered briefly. Renfield offered them drinks as he and Erin set up homework, unsure what else to do with himself while Ingrid was evidently asleep.

The Count fired random questions in no comprehendible order about Adam's life, hobbies, interests and family. It was all a little strange, but Adam supposed they had to get to know each other somehow. He asked questions hesitantly back, unsure what was appropriate to ask your six centuries old vampire father when you'd only just met. They'd just gotten to his parents, Dracos and Mrs Dracula when Ingrid appeared, adding "Nobody was ever brave enough to ask what her name was" about what he supposed was his grandmother. She gave their homework a look of distaste, but Adam pointed out at the very least they had to keep up appearances and that he didn't want his grades falling.

"What are you going to say about your hybrid spawn? Are you going to admit to your mother you got your girlfriend pregnant at fourteen?" "Fuck, I hadn't even thought of that." Picking at leftover cake from Ingrid's birthday party, Adam tried to think. "Tell her it's a new sibling, she won't question you spending time with a new baby brother?" Looking up at Erin, the idea had promise. "What do you think... father?" "Yes yes, I suppose that would work. I am irresistable to the ladies, it's not hard to believe I could have more offspring." Biting back a comment as they were relying on the Count's vanity, Adam nodded. Pushing away his completed English essay, Adam took the book on bat transformations Ingrid handed him. "Which part of this am I supposed to be learning? If I'm supposed to pass two or three years of tests in one go, I need to prioritise." "Six steps of bat transformation." Starting a new page in his notebook and making a mental note to keep this hidden, Adam noted down what Ingrid pointed out.

Renfield appeared with dinner, though Adam questioned the validity of such a name for it as he saw the Count eating "mice crunchies" - dead mice in a strange milk sauce with cockroaches. The two non-vampire teens had chips and some kind of meat Adam didn't want to identify but Ingrid promised was fine for them both. It didn't taste terrible so he ate mechanically over a book on identifying blood types. "Right, hypnosis training, that's something you definitely should be able to do before transforming." "Who am I supposed to hypnotise? It won't work on you or Erin will it?" The matter was resolved by dragging Ryan out of his coffin, Erin bravely volunteering to let Ingrid demonstrate on her so Adam could copy. Trying to stare into Ryan's eyes was disconcerting, trying to summon up the power he didn't know how to access difficult.

The 'lesson' was cut short by his mum's car beeping as his phone buzzed to say she was here. Getting a quick nod from Ingrid, Adam kissed Erin goodbye, partly for show to the Count, who would apparently be blissfully ignorant of his and Ingrid's continued... relationship unless they flaunted it in front of his face. Ingrid followed him to the door, kissing him hard in the dark doorway and pushing a slightly dazed Adam out of the door with his bag. "Did you have fun son?" Adam nodded dumbly as he fastened his seatbelt, glad to see the inside of his house as he repeated last nights chat with his mum over a mug of tea, waiting until he thought Erin would go to bed so Ingrid could leave. It was still early when he went upstairs, climbing into the shower again and climbing into clean underwear. Quickly brushing his teeth, Adam peered into the hallway and hurried to his room.

Even now, both Ingrid and Erin bruised and scratched him all over and he still relished it, even though he didn't feel permanently anxious now it still anchored and aroused him. Ingrid was already on his bed when he entered his room, most of her clothes folded on his desk as he dropped his bag to the floor and climbed into bed with her. Adam let her set the pace, Ingrid's desires for soft and sweet or rough and frantic unpredictable until she kissed him. Tonight was slow, quiet breathy gasps the only sounds between them before they spooned together. "George is coming with me tomorrow, she wants to meet you and the Count properly so Ryan needs to be kept out of the way. They think he's dropped out of school for health problems and that's why Erin walks to school with us, that excuse won't hold if she sees him wondering about the castle. Nor do I want him trying to bite her." Ingrid nodded, saying they had 'slayers serum' which knocked out vampires for a few hours, especially effective on new half fangs like him.

"That also means no talk of hypnosis and biting lessons, or bat transformations." Ingrid chuckled, offering to drug their father with the serum too but it would defeat the purpose of why George wanted to go. They settled down to sleep, Adam wondering if his life would become something like Ingrid by night, Erin by day as he fought to piece the shattered pieces of himself back together. He had no paper round this morning, so he contented himself with a few minutes watching Ingrid sleep peacefully before he shook her awake. He was saddened by her dressing again, breathless when she kissed him again, then amused when she winked before actually turning into a bat and flying off towards the castle. Shaking his head, Adam barely remembered to pull on his pyjamas to head to the bathroom, relieving himself and cleaning up for the day before he went back to put his uniform on.

"Me and George will be home before dinner, so don't worry about picking us up. I promised munchkin chicken dinosaurs again." Adam answered his mums question about the afternoons plans, taking her morning coffee and commenting that Adam looked well-rested. The dark smudges under his eyes were once again covered by makeup, but Adam felt lighter than he had in months when he saw Erin at their door. George dragged the girl in and started chattering away, amusing Erin greatly as she accepted tea from Adam's mum. "Is this my new morning routine? Slow absorption into the Giles family through the power of tea?" Adam nodded, winking as he finished his toast. Making sure he had George's biscuit addictions in his bag in preparation, Adam let the girls lead him outside to meet the Branaghs.

He and Erin stole into the library during lunch, piling science books onto a table to hide them reading specifically about pregnancy. Jonno Van Helsing was loitering nearby and Adam realised that they still knew who and what he was minus the Chosen One, they'd only forgotten very specific things. They hurried to hide what they were reading, looking as though they were discussing a biology essay on chromosomes when Jonno finally came over to talk to Erin. She was effortlessly polite, both of them pretending not to notice the dark looks he shot Adam as he asked if she wanted to go to the museum with him that weekend. "Sounds good, didn't you say your sister and her friend wanted to check out the new Egyptian exhibit?" Cottoning on, Adam nodded. "Yeah yeah, you know George. Anything dug up, and preferably not in English and she's happy." Jonno was clearly unhappy about the turn in conversation but could hardly back out now, agreeing to meet them on saturday.

"That was evil, is living there corrupting you already?" It didn't stop him smirking approvingly as they eyed Jonno sulking on his way out of the library, both of them sitting on a bench outside to quickly eat their lunch before the bell rang. "I'd say that was you, but maybe Castle Dracula has some kind of by proxy effect too." "George will probably stay at the Branaghs after the museum, so hopefully I can get away with coming to stay over rather than sneaking around my house for once. Though I don't know where I'll sleep, since you stole my room." Erin winked as they dumped their litter and headed in to class. "I'm sure there's a coffin for you in the crypt, or you could always share mine." They fell silent before anyone could overhear, sharing twitching grins as they got through their next lessons.

George was thrilled to hear they were going to the museum to see the new exhibit at the weekend, gleefully sharing the information with Chloe. "Do you want me to come with?" Adam shrugged. "It's not your sort of thing, but I wouldn't mind us hanging out again. Everything's been a bit crazy the last few days, maybe come round tomorrow and we can play chess?" Robin nodded, smiling as they split into their seperate houses. George was even more amused to hear about Jonno trying to ask Erin out, promising she and Chloe would make plenty of jokes about Adam and Erin dating, even if they weren't (officially anyway). "Ah, my delightfully evil little sister." "Jonno is weird, his dad is always asking Robin strange questions and he looks at me funny sometimes." "Funny how?" "Not like that! Like he's trying to work out if there's something... I don't know, wrong with me." Adam contemplated her words as he got changed, smirking when Erin changed into some of his looser jeans (Erin was slender but had curves to accommodate unlike Adam) and one of his t-shirts, shoving her uniform into her bag and winking as he watched her strip and redress.

"Eyes up ghost boy, behave yourself." Adam nodded, not wanting to answer cheekily in case George overheard. "You look better in Adam's clothes than Adam does, are you sure Adam isn't your boyfriend? You're wearing his clothes!" Adam poked George in the ribs, surprising a giggle from her. "She's coming to the castle to do homework with me, she and Ingrid are friends and it would be rude to leave her in school uniform all afternoon when my clothes fit her." George was still chuckling mischievously to herself as she skipped in front of them, the route to the castle obvious as it was visible over the houses on it's high, winding perch. George looked even smaller amidst the enormous castle doors, both Adam and Erin looking around warily for signs of life, unlife or fangs. "George, this is my father, Mr Count, but you can call him Count if you like." George loved nicknames, regardless of if they were simplistic or not. George waved brightly, looking at the green drink the scruffy servant offered her in curiosity.

"It tastes better than it looks, it's a Transylvanian thing." George sipped it, drinking deeper when she discovered it didn't taste as odd as it looked and pulling out her book on Latin verbs. Shaking his head slightly, Adam and Erin set up their homework books and chuckled when George started chatting animatedly to the dark, evil Count Dracula about how much she loved sunshine and outdoors. George meeting Ingrid was even funnier, Ingrid obviously attempting to play polite if not nice for Adam's sake, but not sure how to deal with the whirlwind of energy that was Georgina Giles. Both vampires looked relieved when Adam stated they had to leave for dinner, kissing Erin on the cheek while George was watching and dragging his bundle of sunshine sister away from his creature of the night sister. "Your dad is so cool, he's like a rock star! And Ingrid is all dark and mysterious, I see where you get the ghost features from!" Smiling fondly at his sister, Adam felt his phone buzz in his pocket. "Dad thinks your sister is hilarious but insane for a breather, which is a big step up from something like she'd only be useful as a portable snack." Deciding not to relay the entire message lest he scare George, Adam informed George that they liked her too which pleased her no end.

-VAI-

 **CharmedPotterHPH - thank you for being the first to follow/favourite this story!**


	4. Stupid Love

**Don't own.**

 **I need to work on my other stories, I know but this is my darker outlet story so when I'm down Adam's Story/Vl-Adam-Ir is the go to.**

 **Anyway, on we go!**

-VAI-

Sitting through dinner with George was still strange, making him think of his family and Erin's growing baby back up at the castle and how he was going to juggle the two halves of himself, the two halves of his life. In just over a year, he would be a transformed vampire and he had no idea what he was going to do afterwards with regards to explaining to his mother why he had to drop out of school, and probably move out if he didn't want to suddenly see his mum and sister as a late night snack. Pushing the thought away as he sent George for her bath, Adam cleaned up the kitchen and smiled until George looked away to let him smooth out her hair. Ignoring the twinges of his healing shoulder, Adam once again denied he was dating Erin to his little sister and sent her off for bed before their mum came home and told her off for staying up late on a school night again.

Pretending he was suitably exhausted, Adam stole away to his own bedroom after informing his mum George had enjoyed her visit to the castle, and that Robin was coming over after school so he wouldn't be seen to be neglecting his friend. Pushing open his window and stripping down to his boxers to enjoy the breeze on a warm spring night, Adam flicked through another of his vampiric study books as he waited for the sun to finish sinking down below the horizon. Getting up to lock his door when he realised it was still able to be opened by people he did not want to catch him sleeping with Ingrid, Adam couldn't help smiling when he turned back to find said girl already there.

She raised an eyebrow at his lack of clothes, smirking when he complained it was warm and then again when he bit his lip to stifle sounds as her cold hands mapped his bare chest. Knowing his mum was still getting ready for bed, Adam pressed a finger to his lips before indulging in hers. Ingrid's clothes hit the floor quickly and he pressed her into his bed, reveling in the way her body fit against his perfectly. "So, Erin tells me you have a date with Jonno? I know you bite for both teams, but really?" Chuckling against her shoulder as he held her close, Adam shook his head. "Jonno tried to ask Erin out to the museum at the weekend, she dragged me and George and Chloe into the conversation to both agree to go, and to wind him up. I promise Jonno is not my type." "Staying with us must already be rubbing off on her, how deliciously sneaky." Grinning in spite of himself, Adam nodded.

"Either that or my latent Dracula tendencies have slowly corrupted her, I've already got her giving up staking vampires and living with them." "Which reminds me, you missed a great fight after you left on Sunday." Tilting his head to look at Ingrid's smirking face, Adam raised a questioning eyebrow. "Who was fighting?" "Me, my mum, dad. Dad thought she came back to see him, she came back to try and marry me off to her boyfriends brother." "A werewolf? Ew." Ingrid looked at him as though he'd grown a second head for a moment. "Right, I'm in bed with my brother and a werewolf bothers you?" Conceding her point, Adam gave up conversation in favour of kissing her. "You said no, right?" Adam was suddenly worried.

"I'm here aren't I?" "Fair point." Words became unimportant as their bodies twined again, Ingrid's razor sharp fangs piercing his already bitten shoulder again as she came and lighting Adam's whole body on fire with pain and pleasure as he followed. "Fuck, is that going to stay when I do actually change?" Adam managed to pant out as his heart raced, fighting for control of his body again. Ingrid, who didn't actually need to breathe or worry about thudding heartbeats, moved to whisper against his ear, her cool words on his heated skin making him shiver. "If anything, it'll feel better." Unsure if he was more surprised by the idea, or that Ingrid was all but admitting that they weren't going to stop before he turned sixteen, Adam could only nod blankly as Ingrid straddled his hips again. The dreams were back again tonight, his few days respite clearly over as he woke up shaking. "Dreams?" Adam nodded, shaking his head when she asked if he wanted to talk and returning to holding Ingrid tightly as he fell back to sleep.

Ingrid woke him earlier than they needed to, his body catching up to her intentions before his brain had woken fully as she pressed against him. Breathless and fucked out, Adam could only whimper quietly when Ingrid kissed him again before bat-flapping out of his window with a wink. Checking his watch, he realised he had time to shower before he had to dress in time for Erin to come over and felt more alert for it as he returned to his uniform. Remembering his concealer this time, Adam had just finished his first coffee when Erin arrived, grinning when he offered her tea as George came charging down the stairs. "Are we still going to the museum on Saturday? You didn't forget did you?" Both teens smiled fondly at the surprisingly-awake George before promising they were definitely still going. "Though not if you get grounded for being late for school, uniform munchkin!" George looked down, realising she was still in her pyjamas after her hasty appearance when she heard Erin.

The moment they were alone again, Erin was casting appraising eyes over him as he ate his porridge quietly. "Sleep well?" Checking his mum wasn't about to walk in, Adam winked as he said no. His body still shuddered when Erin heavily implied she planned to attack him again at school, suddenly feeling more awake as his mum came in. "Maybe George should go live next door and Erin can take her room, you're becoming something of a morning fixture dear." The smile on his mums face put paid to any idea it was a negative comment, offering Erin a quick squeeze around the shoulders as she passed to make George breakfast (George didn't eat porridge if she could help it). "Told you my mum likes you." Adam teased Erin as they walked to school, Robin checking in that Adam still wanted him to come over that afternoon. "Of course mate, I know I've been a bit absent lately but things are kind of coming together now."

His cheeks flushed when both Robin and Erin burst out laughing, realising the double meaning of his words and steadfastly ignoring them both as they reached the school. George hugged him goodbye and dashed off with Chloe, leaving him with his two friends who were clearly being mean to him. Class kind of blurred past, Erin clinging to his body tightly when they hid in the art classroom again and Adam professed great thanks for Erin opting for the skirt rather than trousers option of their uniform. She giggled breathlessly against his shoulder, pushing him away to fix their clothes and they both had to be pretending to check on progress of their work when a teacher found them in there. Erin's flushed cheeks and Adam's dopey smile probably completely gave them away, but they both fixed innocent eyes on the teacher until he left. They fell about laughing as they headed out to eat lunch, Jonno casting them both glares in a very poorly hidden way when Erin asked if he was still coming to the museum Saturday.

He still agreed, so Adam smiled politely as the boy left and resumed eating his sandwich with a grin he shared with Erin. "How long has he been trying it on?" "Since pretty early on, I think he expected the slayer thing to bond us together but he didn't stand a chance when I started falling for you." "So he stood a chance before that?" Erin giggled, shaking her head. "He's not my type, despite everything I think he's just too... nice. You aren't a bad person but I can't lie, your dark side is hot." Choking on his bottle of fruit juice, Adam shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about, I still don't get what you or Ingrid or Robin see/saw in me." Casting a glance round to check nobody was listening, Adam checked his watch. "Bell is going in five minutes, finish your... whatever that is. I need a spotters guide for what Renfield cooks, blimey my birthday party should be interesting." Erin chuckled, nodding.

"I don't even know what to get you." Adam shook his head then. "The best thing you can do is take care of yourself, you're already giving me a pretty incredible gift." Erin smiled softly at him then, her eyes clearly telling Adam she wished they were alone as the bell called them back to class. "Plus, I don't need another toy vampire slayer kit." "I'm sorry, that was Ryan's idea. I just made you the dreamcatcher, I thought it might help." They reached the classroom then, sitting with Robin and smiling at their friend. Erin kissed him on the cheek before heading down a side street to hide that she was heading back to the castle, Robin saying he and Chloe would be over once they got out of their uniforms. George tossed her empty lunchbox at Adam before hurrying off to change, leaving him smiling at her energetic behaviour before going to change out of his own clothes. The bite mark on his shoulder was interesting, even though Ingrid bit him pretty hard there was no bruising around the puncture marks, though she bruised him without her fangs plenty of other places.

Adam was just making drinks when the Branagh youngest two appeared, Chloe handing him a chocolate cake from their mother and joining George on the sofa to watch Indiana Jones (again). Adam gave the girls lemonade and a slice of cake each, warning them not to get it on the sofa while Robin set up the chess game and practically inhaled his own cake. Putting some safely away in the fridge for his mum, Adam chugged a couple of mugs of coffee while Robin kicked his ass all over the board. Robin tried to teach him different strategies but Adam couldn't seem to last more than ten minutes a game before he had to tip over his king in surrender. They chatted about Adam's new family lightly, Robin clearly able to see there were things he either didn't want to say, or at least wouldn't say where George could hear.

The girls eventually commandeered half of the table to do homework, prompting Adam to do his own while Robin pretended to do his. "Ghost face, do you know where mum put the jigsaw board?" Looking over at his sister, Adam nodded. "Sure, why?" "So we can go put together Tutankhamun's sarcophogus in the garden, duh!" Chuckling at the young girls, Adam went to retrieve the board that helped keep completed jigsaws together and laid it out on the grass. George came dashing out with one of the jigsaw puzzles the Branaghs had given her last year, Chloe following at a more sedate pace but otherwise just as excited. "You wouldn't know they were best friends if you just saw George running around like she's on speed while Chloe tries not to trip over the book she's reading." Adam nodded, taking drinks out to the girls before sitting with Robin over hot drinks. "When did we turn into our mothers Adam?" Chuckling, Adam sipped at his coffee. It was quite true, his mum preferred coffee and Robin's mum preferred tea, much like their drinks now.

"We have to grow up some day, this is the easy part." Robin scowled at his drink but sipped the tea anyway, checking the girls were fully absorbed in their puzzle. "So, how are things with Erin?" Given how little Adam could actually admit to, he shrugged. "I think Ryan getting ill hit her hard, and for now what we have works. What did you call it, friends with benefits?" Robin smirked, nodding. "Hard to believe you've only been in Stokely about a year now, and you found your father! How mad is that?" "Very. My birthday party should be interesting, given how I'm a brother I should probably warn the twins off Ingrid. You too, if Delilah ever realises you're crazy." Robin stuck his tongue out at that, then smiled softly as he thought of his girlfriend. "Why warn them off? It's hilarious to watch!" Adam wasn't really jealous, he knew Ingrid wasn't interested in them but thought he should make some kind of 'brotherly' remark to stop anyone (else) knowing he and Ingrid weren't exactly acting like normal siblings.

Robin took Chloe home for dinner, barely prying her away from the jigsaw until they pointed out the reason for the board was so they could come back to it. Carefully placing the puzzle on the living room table, Adam ushered George to sit down while he made her favourite - burger and chips. She smiled brightly when he lined up the different condiments in the order she always rearranged them, the order she piled them onto her burger until Adam wasn't sure how she could taste the meat itself. Tossing a napkin at her so she could clean the ketchup off her face, Adam set her loading the dishwasher while he made their lunches for the next day. "Are you sure Erin isn't your girlfriend Adam? You're always smiling at each other and she's friends with your new sister and she's really cool!" Ruffling George's hair affectionately as she hugged him, Adam smiled. "You're growing like a weed munchkin, and yes, I'm sure. Though I agree, Erin is very cool. It was her idea for us to go the museum this weekend, and she pushes Chloe when we take you rascals to the park."

"She should be your girlfriend, anybody who can look at your ghost face so much must be worth hanging on to." "George, that's not very nice!" George giggled, still clutching Adam's side tightly as their mum came in. "I was only saying Adam needs to man up and ask Erin out, she's awesome!" Adam felt his cheeks flush slightly at his mums knowing look, since she thought Erin was the one to give him the lovebite before. "Erin is a lovely girl, yes, but you can't make Adam and Erin date just because you want to see her more you little terror!" George pouted, standing in front of the fridge. "Why is George withholding the fridge son?" Chuckling, Adam relayed the information about leftover chocolate cake before dragging George out of the way. "You can't withhold chocolate cake from mum, that'd be like withholding bats from Robin!" George mock-gasped at the idea, clutching her chest and pretending to faint onto the sofa. "He'd never survive that!"

"You two are mad, I swear!" Both he and George turned to grin at their mum, having answered the same way countless times before as they both said "You love us though!" Already starting on her chocolate cake, she nodded. "I do, but you're still mad. Anyway, off to bed George!" Adam bribed George to go quietly by promising her a story, making up one about her going on adventures as an archeologist and she was asleep in minutes. Smiling fondly as he closed the door, Adam returned to his mum. "George is right, you could do much worse than Erin, she's sweet and she makes you smile. And she doesn't complain about doing homework as much as Robin." Smiling and chuckling, Adam nodded. "I know, but funnily enough I cannot solely base potential for a relationship off how willing she is to do homework." Wiping the icing off her mouth, his mum looked at him for a moment. "Just think about it son, you two have been friends for ages now and she doesn't seem to have... lost interest." Looking pointedly at where the bruise had been on his neck, Adam felt his cheeks heat up again. "Alright, I'll think about it. First Robin, then George and now you, everyone seems to be pushing me at Erin."

"I just want you to be happy Adam, this time last year I would never have thought things could go so well." Feeling the all-too-familiar guilt rise in his chest as Adam thought of all the things he was hiding, he nodded. "Me too, I can't believe it's been a year. Anyway, I better get to bed. Love you." "Love you too son." Adam bid his mum goodnight, hurrying to the bathroom to brush away the remnants of burgers and chocolate cake. His face was starting to slim down, losing the roundness of youth and the inherited bone structure of his father was becoming more clear. The nose and the ears were all his mum, the two moles on his wrist identical to George's even though their mum didn't share them. His eyes still gave him pause, practically a sign of his Dracula family - his mum and George had more hazel-coloured eyes, not the bright blues Adam had. Turning away from his reflection, Adam washed the concealer off his face and headed to his room. Flicking through one of his blood test books until the sun went down, Adam heard the voice that always made his heart skip a beat. "You're getting into those, aren't you?"

Flipping the book shut, Adam moved to wrap his arms around Ingrid. "Gotta pass the tests if I want to be able to keep up with you, and not get found out as a half-breed of course." Ingrid shut his window while Adam locked his door, conversation halting as Adam took the opportunity to replace the bruise on Ingrid's thigh. Pride he knew he shouldn't feel glowed in his chest as Ingrid let him mark her skin, clothes falling away and bodies twining in his bed. Ingrid lay over his chest after, listening to his heart slow down beneath her. "Did I tell you my mum thinks I'm dating Erin because of you?" She looked up at Adam, face utterly perplexed. "Remember when you bit my neck, not in the park, the next time?" Ingrid nodded, still looking a little confused. "Well, after you left Erin came over to do homework and stuff. Shut up, you know what I mean." Ingrid was giggling against his shoulder, but waved her hand as a signal to continue. "After the next night, when we had that... would you call it a fight?" Ingrid shrugged, again gesturing for him to go on. "Anyway, after that I was a little bit broken and forgot to put makeup over the bruise the next night after my shower, and my mum saw. Given that she doesn't know you sneak in through my window most nights, her only assumption was when Erin came over the day before."

Ingrid's shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter, her joyous sounds muffled against his skin and Adam mock-scowled at her. "I hate you." "No you don't." "Ok, true. I don't. Still shut up." Ingrid smirked, the sight of her in the moonlight never failing to make his heart speed up. "It's going to be strange, not hearing your pulse race when you look at me after you change." "Well, you know it would if it could, fuck you're beautiful." That won him a rare, genuine smile from Ingrid as she kissed him, twisting in his arms to let him spoon up against her back so he could sleep. "Maybe you should publicly date Erin, it would make explaining why she's always at the castle when you are easier at least." Rolling the words in his mind, Adam thought on it. "I guess. Does it not bother you?" Ingrid sighed, turning to face him. "Do you want it to?" Adam shook his head. "No, of course not. I just, I don't get it. I'm some weird kid who landed in a strange little village, and somehow I ended up with the two hottest girls in school, and they somehow don't seem to mind." "Honestly, I could think of better people to end up sharing you with than a slayer girl who was originally sleeping with you to find out if you were the chosen one. But let's face it, even if it were just the two of us we'd need someone else eventually. I can hardly publicly carry your heirs, and Erin's already pregnant." "And Erin?"

"I think she's glad to be alive, and that you didn't reject her. Plus, she loves you. Love makes you do stupid things." Cupping Ingrid's cheek to push her to meet his eyes, Adam felt his heart skip again. "What stupid things have you done then?" Ingrid smirked at him, though the depth of their conversations true meaning was clear in her eyes. "Erin's alive and I'm in bed with my brother, neither of which are typical behaviours for a vampiress of my standing and evilness." Closing the distance between them, Adam felt her melt into the kiss. "I love you too." Ingrid smiled softly, then pinched his arm and told him to 'vamp up' again, she was fond of doing that. "Come on, sleep. Enough mushy stuff." Adam agreed, letting Ingrid nestle tighter in his arms and falling asleep with the reassuring weight of her body against his.

-VAI-

 **It isn't all going to be day-by-day stuff, but the whole aftermath of the Chosen One thing kind of needed addressing, things will start to move along again soon.**


	5. Old and New Dynamics

**Don't own.**

 **So, I updated Chosen Two which means I'm allowing myself more time to spend on this before I go update No Place Like Home tomorrow... And then probably update this again. I can't help it, I think I love my corrupted version of Adam Giles a little bit (a lot).**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Even though it had only been days, Adam was fast becoming used to waking up with Ingrid in his arms, though he hoped to be waking up to Erin at the weekend. Erin was appearing to be very understanding, she certainly knew Ingrid spent the nights in his bed and slept while they were at school, though Erin certainly made the most of their time there - it was genuinely surprising they hadn't gotten in trouble for having sex at school by now. "Stop thinking so loud, I'm sleeping." Smiling into Ingrid's shoulder, Adam whispered apologies against her skin. "Time to get up, sorry." Ingrid scowled as Adam led her to the bathroom, indulging in a rare shower together and Adam felt weak in the knees as Ingrid pressed him into the wall under the hot water. "Not in here, the echoes are loud."

His whispers didn't deter Ingrid, who knelt down in front of him with a wicked grin and Adam had to bite his hand to muffle his groans, the heated steam contrasting with the cool sensations of Ingrid's mouth on him until his knees shook and she swallowed around him. Her smirk never faltered as they brushed their teeth, murmuring "You owe me one" against his ear to make him shiver in delight as they dressed. "I'll owe you a hundred if you like, I love you." Adam smiled when Ingrid kissed him again, both grumbling as the sun started to eek out and Ingrid had to leave or risk exploding, and not in a good way. "Until the night then." Ingrid nodded, blurring into a bat and flapping up to the castle. 'Never going to get boring' Adam mused to himself as he did up his tie, pulling on his jumper and checking there were no obvious signs of Ingrid or sleepless nights as he covered his face with concealer.

With the dreams easing off and his appetite returning, Adam was starting to look a little less ill but it had taken months to push his body so far, it wouldn't go away over night and he sighed as he tightened his belt to hold his trousers over his narrow hips. Erin gave him a soft smile whenever she saw him eating properly, and Ingrid hadn't actually brought it up in conversation but he could feel her concern sometimes eyeing up his almost-prominent ribcage. Erin appeared as Adam was finishing his cereal, the same soft smile he expected she wasn't aware she gave as he cleared away his breakfast and made her tea. "How are you this morning?" Erin peered over his shoulder, checking they were alone. "A little faint, but apparently that's normal for the first three months, it'll pass." Adam nodded, checking they were still alone as he kissed her and pressed a hand to her stomach.

"Doesn't seem real." They seperated before they could get caught, finishing their drinks as George came in, taking the toast Adam handed to her and barely stopping long enough for him to put her lunch in her bag. "Overslept after games again?" George nodded, grinning cheekily. "I told you to be careful, mum is going to put parental controls on the internet again!" "What's that son?" "Nothing mum! We gotta go, the Branaghs are here." Erin looked surprised when "Goodbye Erin!" was called down the stairs, given that his mum hadn't come downstairs to see her there. "I think she's just assuming you'll be here in the mornings now, come on let's go." The Branaghs knocked on the door, stellar timing as ever and less surprise after three previous days of Erin beating them there.

Sitting under a shady tree so he could strip down to short sleeves without needing sunscreen in the May sunshine, Adam looked over at Erin. "You were right?" "About what?" Erin looked down at her stomach. "It doesn't seem real. Plus there's an irony to my due date being around Halloween." Calculating in his head, Adam realised she was right. "Well, it's in keeping with everything. Halloween was the first night I met Ingrid, and then there was you dressed as a vampire slayer. Which now I think about it, was not a costume really." Erin shrugged, a cheeky smile on her face. "Yeah, well I don't remember you complaining about how quickly it came off, or the rest of the night." Adam conceded her point, smirking as he reminded her she complained about it the next morning. "I was about to say you wouldn't understand but you do, so shut up." Erin stole half his chocolate from his lunch, pulling him behind the tree for precious seconds of privacy to kiss him before the bell went.

"Saturday seems so far away." "Yeah but you'll see me tomorrow too." Erin nodded into his chest, pulling away and swiping at her eyes. "Damn hormones. I just miss falling asleep with you is all." Adam nodded, uncaring if they were caught as he kissed her again. "I know, I miss you too. I'll see if George wants to stay at the Branaghs tomorrow night but otherwise, I'm definitely falling asleep with you Saturday ok?" Wiping the tears from her cheeks gently with his thumbs, Adam felt the same skip in his chest he did with Ingrid as Erin's eyes found his. The second bell went then, telling them they were about to be late for class as they hurried along. They just made it in as the class was settling, sharing smiles behind their textbooks until the end of the day. Erin followed him into his house, hanging around until George blurred past them to the Branaghs.

"We alone?" Adam checked the calendar on the fridge, his mums unpredictable classes listed there (they changed every week or two because the Stokely Community Centre was more indecisive than Robin presented with five different black t-shirts). "Yeah, we have a few hours. Maybe Ingrid and the Count can actually sleep in the afternoon for once." Erin laughed, pulling Adam to his bed and trading kisses as they pushed each others clothes away. "Almost strange not to be doing this at school." "Yeah, but getting naked at school is too much of a risk and that means I can't do this." Adam grinned, winking as he ducked to kiss Erin's stomach. They were both surprised when a movement was evident beneath the skin, faint fluttering beneath his fingers when Adam pressed a hand there. "I'm not imagining that right, you felt it?" Erin nodded, looking down to his hand.

"Wow, that's kind of unbelievable. There's a baby in there!" Adam couldn't help but smile, the fears and anxieties about impending fatherhood melting away for a moment as he felt the tiny flutter against Erin's skin. "What did you think it would be, a litter of kittens?" Pouting, Adam moved to kiss Erin. "You know what I mean, there is a person growing inside you. And that is pretty spectacular." Erin pulled him closer to her, gasping into his mouth as their bodies slid together and shaking beneath him with pleasure as she came. "Where are you going?" Adam grinned, given that he was only locking his door. "Just in case I fall asleep, you said you wanted to fall asleep with me." Erin teared up again slightly as he held her close, fighting to stay awake as she drifted off lightly in his arms. Given that it was only early afternoon, she wasn't quite tired enough to sleep deeply and woke up against him with a smile an hour later.

"Hey there." "Hey yourself, feel better?" Erin nodded, kissing his cheek and stealing clothes. She laughed when Adam pouted at her re-dressing, pointing out his mum and George may notice if they came back and found Erin wondering around naked. "I'm going to be showing by your birthday at this rate, better hope school uniform can hide a multitude of sins until July." "That kind of reminded me, did Ingrid tell you she thought we should date publicly?" Erin looked at him in confusion for a moment. "Ingrid said that?" Adam nodded, pulling on jeans himself and wrapped his arms around Erin. "Yeah, said it would explain you being at the castle so much as nobody knows you actually live in my room there. Plus it'll mean I can kiss you in front of people and hold your hand on the way to school and stuff." "No no, I get all that. I'm just surprised it was Ingrid who said that." Pulling on a t-shirt, feeling the familiar sting of Erin's nails in his back and smiling as he turned back to her, Adam pushed his window open slightly and led Erin downstairs.

"I think being so accepting of me and Ingrid has you some brownie points with her. Do vampires have brownie points? Blood points?" Erin giggled, taking tea from Adam and sitting with him on the sofa. "So, is that a yes? Do I have an official girlfriend now?" She actually rolled her eyes, placing their cups down and crawling over his body to kiss him. "You don't half do things backwards, I think we're generally supposed to be dating before you knock me up. Yes, you idiot." Adam couldn't help smiling, kissing her and rearranging their bodies so Erin was laying across his chest again. "You and Ingrid call me an idiot all the time, I should feel more offended." "You don't though, do you?" Shaking his head, Adam pressed a kiss to Erin's neck and smirked as she shivered in his arms. "Not at all, I'm just glad to have you both in my life. And soon, the extra one." Moving his hand to rest over her stomach, Adam felt Erin relax a little more against him and just enjoyed her company.

"We can't tell anyone but your mum and George til Saturday though, it'll be less fun if Jonno isn't hoping to get me away from you then." "Damn, means I still have to leave you alone tomorrow. Oh well, I've managed months keeping everything a secret, one more day won't hurt." Erin turned in his arms, smiling up at him. "Not all day, you're due back up at the castle again tomorrow after school aren't you?" "Yep, I need to somehow casually ask George if she's staying over tomorrow night, my mum is off work so she'll probably go round too. Then of course there is our hot date taking Chloe and George to the museum and hoping Jonno doesn't try to stake me." "You make it sound far less fun than it will be. Especially with your sister and her friend, I wonder if Jonno will last the whole trip." Erin giggled more when Adam told her she was turning evil, blaming him and kissing him as 'punishment'. "If that's your idea of punishment I should get blamed for things more often."

Erin fell back to sleep on top of him again, effectively trapping Adam there when his mum appeared with George in tow. "But you're definitely not dating?" George looked at them knowingly, speaking quietly as she saw Erin was asleep. "You can't tell anyone before Saturday because of Jonno, but yes, we are now." "I knew it!" His little sisters exclamation stirred Erin, who blinked up at him blearily before realising where she was. "Knew what? What did I miss? Oh, hello Mrs Giles." "It's Sally Erin, I've told you many times." "And you can't keep calling her that now you and Adam are dating!" Erin looked around at him, her face still sleep-soft and beautiful. "So you told them?" "Kind of hard not to when I was trapped on the sofa when they got back." Erin nodded, getting up to go to the bathroom and looking considerably more awake when she returned. Dinner consisted mostly of George making a lot of noise about them becoming 'official', quizzing Erin cheekily about why she 'put up' with Adam.

"Munchkin, first you complain I don't ask her out and now I have you're trying to scare her off!" "If your ghost face hasn't scared her off yet, nothing will!" Erin simply looked between them smiling as she ate dinner with them, laughing in all the right places when George talked animatedly about their trip to the museum. "So, what's the plan for that day?" "Well we're meeting Jonno there at midday, are you staying here or next door munchkin?" George looked deep in thought for a moment, as though there was a huge amount of difference other than whether she was up late on her phone or with her head over a book with Chloe. "Next door, me and Chloe are studying hieroglyphics in advance." Adam nodded, turning to his mum. "My father asked if I would stay over Friday and Saturday nights, I said I would so long as I didn't have plans with you guys or if I had George to look after. Is that alright mum?" "Of course son, and thank you for automatically thinking of us first." "Of course I would, you're my family. But I do want to get a chance to know my father." And study for his vampire tests, learn what it meant to be turning into 'the chosen one' and to see both of his loves, but none of that would convince his mother.

It was dark before Erin left, Ingrid texting to say she'd come get Erin before returning to Adam's bed. "It feels a bit weird, but it's so much faster ok?" Erin nodded, looking dubious as she kissed Adam goodbye before letting Ingrid take hold of her arm. "That was quick Adam, did you actually walk her home?" "No, her uncle was on his way back from somewhere and Erin went to walk with him, they both insisted I come back rather than tag along." His mum nodded, her smile already growing as she clearly buzzed with questions. "So you changed your mind about Erin?" Adam nodded, smiling into his milkshake - he didn't need coffee as much now and cold drinks on warm nights were blissful. "We were just chatting and the topic sort of came up, I imagine in no small part thanks to George constantly making jokes about the museum trip. Then we sat watching TV and she fell asleep, that was it really." Adam begged off to bed soon after, claiming need for sleep before his paper round as he heard the faint creak of his window where Ingrid was coming in upstairs.

Escaping, Adam forced himself to go brush his teeth so he was ready for bed before joining Ingrid in his room. His door was barely locked before Ingrid was pushing him against it, pressing the length of her body to his and smirking when he panted after she finally let him breathe. "Cheating on your girlfriend now Adam, what would your mother think?" Tugging Ingrid's top off, Adam grinned. "Honestly, if she knew everything I think that would be the least of my problems." Ingrid agreed, sliding cool hands beneath his jumper to push it and his shirt over his head. Her skirt and his jeans followed, wrestling their underwear away and climbing into bed. "Is it weird for you to sleep at night, here with me?" "You think sleeping at night is all that's weird? No, not really. I still sleep in the day, this is mostly about being with you." "I'm cleared to stay at the castle tomorrow and saturday night, though obviously there's the fun day with Jonno to be had." Ingrid turned to look at him, probably prepared to tell him he was rambling. "Is this your long-winded way to say you're planning to spend the nights with your other girlfriend?"

"Uh, I guess? Though I was mostly saying that once I come over after school tomorrow I can see you anyway. Then you can return to stealing my covers sunday night. I may never get used to sleeping alone again, please don't get sick of me." Ingrid smiled up at him, brushing a kiss over his jaw and nuzzling at his throat. "Well I haven't yet, and stop worrying so much. I'm not petty enough to let Erin live, stay at ours and then throw a tantrum about you spending two nights out of seven with her. Not that I'm thrilled at the idea of some kind of rota, it's going to be more difficult when Erin has to drop out of school after July." "I know, but I guess we'll figure it out. Did you work out she's due around Halloween? The first time we properly met." He could see Ingrid calculating it, eyes widening slightly. "I'll be damned, that is some kind of strange." "Right, because everything else is normal." Ingrid growled at him then, kissing him roughly and leaving him dazed. "Shut up and sleep you idiot." Still a little hazy, Adam could only agree as he pulled Ingrid closer, tightening an arm round her waist and not thinking about giving her up until Sunday night.

Dragging himself out of bed the next morning, Ingrid flitting rather than flapping away today as he left for his paper round, Adam couldn't help smiling as he thought of going up to the castle later and spending the night with Erin. He was able to kiss her in greeting with no concerns, other than George making jokes and vomit-noises from behind him when she came downstairs. "You wanted me to date her, you can't have it both ways munchkin." "Doesn't mean I want to see you all over each other ghost face." George was pouting as Adam shoved cereal in front of her, their mum drinking her coffee in a rush and complaining she couldn't find the car keys. "Take the spare set?" "I don't know where they are!" Chuckling, Adam pulled them off the hook they were **_always_** on and handing them to her. "There you go, now breathe mum!" "I've not been late once yet, I didn't want to break that record." "Well, you're fine. I'll make sure George gets changed and put our uniforms in the laundry, and I've got my phone if you need me. I'll be here to get her and Chloe about 11:30am, now that is everything off you go!" Erin looked surprised when she got a goodbye hug, already accepted so quickly by his family after 'officially' dating for about fourteen hours.

-VAI-

 **After I get through the fun times at the museum the story will start to move on again, the last couple have been about establishing new dynamics in light of everything that has happened.**


	6. New Energy

**Don't own.**

 **Yep, I updated No Place Like Home and now I'm back here again! Well, people appear to like this story - welcome to the new follower/favouriter and any new readers!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Getting through the day by reminding himself after Saturday he would be able to publicly kiss and hug Erin, Adam was buzzing with excitement in every class until Robin kicked him under the table, hissing at him to stop fidgeting. Lunch was spent trying to catch up on school work, careful not to fall behind on his school studies in lieu of his vampire studies and juggling the two sides of his life. Erin chuckled at his face when he got stuck on his maths work, pointing out where he'd gone wrong and flicking through a book on pregnancy behind the cover of a book on Welsh history. "Come on, ten minutes to go and you still need to eat." Adam followed dutifully, leaving their books piled on the table and heading out to eat lunch together. Robin found them as the bell was about to ring, cheeks flushed and a wide grin. "I don't want to know, come on. Time to sit with Van Helsing teaching us how not to hurt ourselves making cuckoo clocks again."

Erin giggled next to him, knowing Adam hated woodwork lessons as Van Helsing glared down at him like he was itching to drive a stake through Adam, and unsure why Erin was so friendly with him still. Jonno glared darkly at them through the whole double lesson and Adam had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing when Erin politely asked if he was still meeting them tomorrow. The boy nodded, checking the time and Adam managed to restrain his laughter until they left the school gates - Jonno had to hang around as his dad drove them in. "His face! I thought he was going to toss that spirit level at me." The Branagh twins were at rugby practice, and Chloe and George were both in on 'the plan', Robin chuckling alongside them as they headed home.

Erin followed Adam in with George, Chloe waving goodbye as though George wouldn't come barreling though the Branagh's front door in the next fifteen minutes. "Is Erin going to the castle with you?" George asked as they both headed upstairs to change out of their uniforms. "Yeah, she's staying in Ingrid's room - it'll be easier than having to meet her on the way there or something." George accepted this, dashing into her room to change and pack her pyjamas. He wasn't sure why she didn't just leave a set there, shaking his head as he heard his little sister tripping over things in her room in her haste. Hurrying to change himself, Adam packed a couple of things into his bag for show. Tossing his phone charger in with a t-shirt and clean underwear, plus his homework with a grimace, Adam checked his hair was alright quickly and shook his head when his reflection winked at him. "Must be a vampire thing" he thought to himself, picking up his uniform and empty lunchbox and seeing George bolt downstairs with the same.

Erin was at the mercy of his little sister when he got down, getting a hug goodbye before George attacked Adam with the same. "See you tomorrow munchkin, 11:30 remember?" "I'll remember ghost face, bye Erin!" His now-official girlfriend laughed at the blur that was Georgina Giles, barely waiting until Adam had set the washing machine on with their uniforms to pin him to the counter and kiss him. Wrapping his arms around her, Adam smiled. "Ooooh cake." Looking in confusion, Adam followed Erin's line of vision to find a note on the fridge from his mother saying there was cake and sweets, plus money for the museum cafe waiting in a box. Locating it, Adam joked to Erin it was good he didn't need to pack much for the castle as he crammed it in his backpack. "Guess she wanted me to be prepared, can hardly tell her to leave a bottle of blood for the Draculas can I?"

Locking up the house behind them, Adam let Erin take his hand as they walked up to the castle together. Knowing it was still early and Ingrid and their father may be sleeping, Adam pushed open the huge door for he and Erin, finding the main rooms empty and heading upstairs to drop off his bag. Adam pouted as Erin got changed, given how she told him to behave as they had studying to do. "You're with me tonight and tomorrow night, and you were the one who said you want to keep your grades up. If you're lucky, you can apply to finish your GCSEs before you drop out of school, or after by having them here. That way you won't feel bad about disappointing your mum?" Sighing, Adam nodded. "Fine, I shall do my work. Come on, English, Physics and then you can help me study ways to avoid dying as a vampire. Slayer."

Erin tapped her finger on his nose, smiling brightly. "EX-slayer thank you very much." Erin picked up her books, commandeering the stash of snacks his mum had made as they headed back downstairs. Renfield was awake, offering them both the strange green drink while they worked. He eyed the pile of cakes, smiling brightly and thanking Adam profusedly when he offered him some. "Thank you Master Adam!" "It's nothing Renfield, honestly." Truthfully, Adam just wanted the pungent man to move away so he could breathe normally again. The normal school work was done in short order, and the Count appeared after sundown to find Adam and Erin poring over books on slayer weapons. "Do you really need to educate your slayer pet further?" Rolling his eyes, Adam resisted the urge to try and fireball his father. "She's not a slayer anymore, and her knowledge is helpful for my studies. And she's not my pet!" His voice echoed a slight timber on the last word and Adam forced himself to calm down.

"I hear temper tantrums, which can only mean my brother and our father are talking again!" Ingrid's voice echoed up from her crypt room and Adam felt a smile cross his face at the sight of her. "He's complaining about me studying for my tests, is it ever possible to win with him?" "Not that I've found yet, but who knows? He's only six hundred and five after all." Ingrid sat down opposite Adam and Erin, clicking her fingers to summon Renfield with a goblet of blood. "Do I have to drink blood to live when I'm... dead?" "Yes, of course! That's part of the fun!" Raising an eyebrow at his father, Adam wasn't sure they had the same ideas about fun. "Well, you could drink soya substitute blood but it's not a pleasant thing." "But nobody was hurt making it? I can't say I'm thrilled at the idea of drinking the remnants of dead people." Erin squeezed his hand under the table, though they didn't need to hide anything here Adam enjoyed the comfort.

"Well, worry about that when you actually are dead, until then you can drink your body weight in coffee like you usually do." Nodding at Ingrid, Adam went back to looking at his book. "Name an alloy of silver and garlic that can drain vampires of their powers!" Looking up in confusion, Adam saw his father holding the book he'd just been reading. "You have tests to pass, now answer me!" Racking his brains for weapons containing garlic, Adam tried to think. "Argen... argentalium?" "Six steps to bat transformation?" "Wings, muscles, movement, size, hearing, sight?" "Correct!" "Can I have my book back then?" The Count looked down, realising he was still holding the book and tossing it aside. This appeared to be a common behaviour, as Renfield moved to catch it with a sigh. "Not yet, not yet. I have something for you, my son and heir!" Unsure he'd like it, Adam tried to keep his face impassive. "It's not some kind of live dinner is it?"

"No no, not yet anyway!" The Count 'flitted' off, returning with a wrapped bundle and handing it to him. "Open it, open it!" Pulling at the black ribbon holding the black paper, the wrappings fell away to reveal... new clothes. "You have a good start with all the black, but a future Count Dracula should look sharp! Go on, put them on!" Feeling far too center-of-attention, Adam trotted out of the throne room to the nearby bathroom, trying to work out how to fasten the multiple buttons on his waistcoat neatly. Black long sleeved shirt, black formal trousers that fit almost too well, deep red waistcoat and tie. It took him another few minutes to work out the fastenings of his boots, and Adam felt hugely overdressed when he returned. "Wow." Adam felt his cheeks flush as Ingrid and Erin both spoke together, looking at each other in surprise.

"Now you look like a vampire!" Remembering the plastic fangs, Adam asked Ingrid to grab his bag. Hunting them out of the front pocket, Adam pushed them into his mouth. It was awkward to talk around them, but he supposed he needed the practice. "How about now?" "Yes, very Dracula." Spitting the plastic back out, Adam looked down at his outfit. "I guess I can wear this for my birthday party, which I presume you'd rather was held here than in the Branaghs back garden?" "Yes, yes. That's next month, I think you should wear it tomorrow. Jonno will hate it!" "Won't I look far too overdressed for the museum?" Erin shrugged, still eyeing him up. "I'll make Erin up to match the vampire look if you wear that to meet the slayer boy." Ingrid voluntarily offering to get along with Erin was not likely to be a common occurrence, so Adam nodded. "Ok then, I'm game. George is going to tease me so much."

"What's this about meeting with slayers? You had better not be fraternising with the enemy... more than you have." The Count was looking pointedly at Erin, until Adam clicked his fingers to get his attention again. Everyones attention was diverted when all the candles in the room went out, casting it into low moonlit glow through the solitary open window. "Uh... oops?" "Do it again!" his father called out, so Adam tried clicking his fingers again. The candles flickered back into life, Adam looking at his hand in surprise. "Should I be able to do that?" "Kind of, it's a good sign your powers are flickering in before your transformation." "Right! Hypnosis. Where's that half fang?" Ryan, who was still recovering from the change, was dragged upstairs and plied with blood before being told to let Adam practice hypnosis again.

He still struggled, though apparently his eyes flickered yellowish gold occasionally - the colour they were supposed to go if it was working. Erin was yawning by the time Adam begged to be allowed to give up, and he took the moment the Count was off punishing Renfield for something or other to kiss Ingrid goodnight before pulling Erin along to the tower staircase. "Careful not to ruin the clothes!" Ingrid called up after them, so Adam and Erin carefully removed and folded his new stuff, far less careful with Erin's casual clothes as they fell into bed. Letting the heat of Erin's body infuse his skin, Adam stroked over her stomach reverently for a moment before Erin lost patience and bit at his collarbone, urging him to get on with it. "You were the one who wanted to get homework done first." Erin winked as their hips met, clinging tighter to him. "That was before you got all dressed up, damn you looked hot."

"Think you can pull off the candle trick again so I don't have to get up?" Erin mumbled sleepily into his chest as they lay shaking afterwards. Feeling a little silly, Adam tried clicking his fingers. To his great surprise, the candles went out. "Ta da?" "Shut up and go to sleep." Adam chuckled to himself, there were more similarities between Ingrid and Erin than most would think to look at them. Curling around Erin a little tighter, Adam let sleep take him. He smiled to himself as he woke up with Erin still there, thankful Robin had offered to cover his paper round at the weekends now. He expected it was so Robin could spend more money on chocolate and junk food, or perhaps his girlfriend, but Adam didn't mind - he rarely actually spent the money he made other than on hair dye and concealer. Not that he was sure Robin would love getting up early, though as it didn't need to be done before school he supposed the boy could do it a little later.

"Morning. You looked lost in thought?" Shaking his head at Erin's sleepy face, Adam smiled. "Just glad I don't need to leave like I usually do." Erin 'mmm'ed and snuggled further into him, most unhappy when Adam checked his phone. "It's 7am, why do we have to get up?" "Because if you want me to wear the new clothes, Ingrid needs to vamp you up a little. She's normally in her coffin by six, and according to this text message my delicate parts are in mortal danger if we don't get up soon. As much as I would enjoy lazing around in bed all day, I'm quite attached to all my body parts." Erin sighed, sitting up and smirking when Adam's eyes followed the covers falling from her chest. "Eyes front soldier, I need a shower." Which meant Adam was dragged happily along, barely managing to stop touching each other long enough to actually clean themselves up before the water ran cold.

Pulling on a t-shirt and shorts, Adam padded down the stone steps with his new outfit folded ready. Ingrid was lounging across her fathers throne but jumped up to kiss Adam in greeting before shoving him in the direction of the table. The box of cornflakes that had Adam laughing heartily only days before was there, and Adam sat crunching on them while Erin - clearly used to eating strange breakfasts already - ate something Adam would have called soup, if soup looked like it had escaped from hell. "Best not to ask what's in it I've found, I'm operating a 'if it's safe and tastes ok I'll eat it' policy for the sake of this strange hybrid I'm growing." Adam nodded in agreement, flicking cornflakes at Ingrid when she wasn't looking and trying to look innocent.

"Come on, I know it's early to you but I'm normally in the dreamworld by now so on we go?" Erin pushed away her bowl and they both downed their green drink thing, following Ingrid down to her crypt room. "Go change you, I'll be done in a couple of minutes." Adam was pushed into Ingrid's bathroom, figuring he may as well do as he was told. He did wonder how he was going to manage his mind-of-its-own mop of hair when he no longer had a reflection, thankful for Ingrid's wide array of brushes and combs even though she didn't have a reflection herself to see what they did any more. Fixing his tie and finding the boots less cumbersome to fasten now he'd done it before, Adam stepped out and felt like his heart would stop a year early. "Fuck."

Adam wasn't sure what level of heaven Erin's dress had come from, it wasn't skintight but wrapped around her slender curves wonderfully. Black fabric highlighted with red accents, a deep red stain on her lips and eyeliner smudged around her eyes. "Told you she'd match you fine. One more touch just to really slam home the 'vampire' message." Ingrid stood between him and Erin then, fixing something around her neck. "Is that a bat?" "Of course." "I know you're amazing already Ingrid, but holy hellfire that is impressive. You make a pretty hot vampire yourself Erin." Ingrid draped herself against his body to kiss him again before shoving him away. "Yes, I'm a miracle worker. Now go away, I need my sleep and then you can tell me all the fun you had tormenting the slayer boy tonight." Adam and Erin headed back out, curling along the sofa in the reading area of the cavernous throne room together.

"Erin?" "Yeah?" Adam wasn't sure now was the best time to ask this, but they had two hours to kill and he was desperate to know. "Do you want to be a vampire?" Erin shifted in his arms, anxiety clear in her shoulders. "Honestly? Not really. If you decide to stay a vampire when you turn eighteen, then I'll be more inclined to consider being turned but it's not a life I ever pictured for myself." "What about the baby? From what I gather in my fathers rantings, it's likely my vampire DNA will overwrite my human to balance out the child. So they'll be like me, half and half." "Then I will support our child in whatever decision they make, and with any luck be better prepared for the things you went through." Thinking of the scars and marks that littered his body, Adam couldn't help but agree. "Well, our child won't be the 'chosen one', and I'm fairly certain they won't have any siblings to meet during puberty to make everything a little more confusing. And yes, I know I did not deal with my problems well, but we're going to be parents, and that's amazing."

"Don't make me cry, it'll ruin the makeup." Adam nudged Erin to turn around, facing him. Stroking the traces of tears from her cheeks, he kissed her gently. "You look beautiful." They hunted through the stacks of books, eventually asking Renfield if there were any books on 'dimidius' pregnancies. "Not many Master Adam, what with it being forbidden and all. This is the only one I know of here." Sitting down with Erin and looking at the book, he wasn't hugely surprised by Erin informing him the authors name was that of a famous, but very much dead, slayer. "Expectations for Expecting Disaster? Promising." "I'm sure that's because of how illegal it is, not the baby itself. I was practically normal before I moved to Stokely aside from very occasional bad dreams, though I was a weedy little thing at birth so I guess we should be prepared for that."

Adam's watch chimed 11am, prompting them to get ready to go. "Be sure to say you feel cold later so I can offer you my jacket." Erin shared his mischievous expression as they pulled on their jackets, Adam patting down his pockets to check he had his phone and wallet as they linked hands to leave. George and Chloe were already waiting outside when they got there, bouncing with excitement. "Wow, very goth!" Chloe opened her house door, shouting at the Branaghs that Adam now looked like a smartened up version of Robin. "Oh Adam, you look very smart! Why are you so dressed up for the museum?" Looking down at the attire, Adam shrugged at Mrs Branagh. "They were a gift from my father, I thought I should see how they suit me and we were going out today anyway." George dashed off then, disappearing into the Giles home and coming out a moment later dragging their mum. "Oh, very nice son!" Adam felt his cheeks flush again as everyone stared, Robin's gaze more interested than anyones - he had a weakness for black and red, Adam knew.

Before they could make a quick getaway, Adam's mum was pulling out the camera and cooing over the kind of matching outfits. Shrugging off their jackets that concealed them in part, Adam tried and failed not to pull silly faces as he and Erin 'posed' for photos together. Mrs Branagh was next, an old polaroid camera flashing away until Adam was blinking lights out of his eyes. "Come on munchkin, we're going to be late meeting Jonathan." They managed to hurry away soon after, barely making the museum for 12. Adam made himself let go of Erin's hand for now, admiring what may as well have been a sign around her neck saying "I'm dating a vampire" to a slayer in the form of her bat-shaped necklace. "Remember girls, be nice!"

George and Chloe winked up at him, plastering innocent smiles on their faces as Jonno approached them. His eyes flickered between the co-ordinated outfits for a long moment before he remembered to say hello, and George was already on form by saying "they are like a matching set, they'd make a cute couple don't you think?" as they headed in. "We'll see the Egyptian exhibit last, because that will be the one we take forever to drag you away from and there's more than one new exhibit, ok?" The girls pouted but nodded, already chattering over the T-rex skeleton that was *always* in the museum. "So Jonno, how's your weekend so far?" "Fine." Well, he'd tried. Keeping one eye on the young ones, Adam made sure to lean into Erin 'accidentally' to point out something in an exhibit and Erin pretended to be scared of one of the paintings, hiding her face against his chest and Adam almost laughed aloud at the thunderous look on Jonno's face.

"Oh Erin, do you need the ghost boy to hold your hand?" "Don't call me that in public you little terror!" Adam exchanged a quick grin with his sister, high-fiving her behind their backs like they'd practiced many times getting away with things as children - they'd always been close. "So, shall we go get something to eat and then you can waste the afternoon looking at dead mummies and shiny things?" Chloe and George nodded, grabbing Erin's hands and dragging her off to the girls toilet for who only knew what reason. Adam suddenly wished they hadn't left him alone in an empty hallway with Jonno, who was looking somewhat murderous. He'd been assured a stake wouldn't kill him unless it actually went through his chest, which would probably require more strength than Jonno had, but that didn't make him feel less concerned about whether the boy actually wanted to kill him or not.

"I saw the books you were looking at in the library, the way you two look at each other. You've got her pregnant haven't you? Made something even freakier than you, you sick bastard." Adam was trying not to get angry, he was. But hearing Jonno refer to the baby he and Erin had created as something so wrong made him want to attack. The energy filled him easily as he held the other boys gaze, speaking softly. "You will not remember anything about Erin being pregnant, or this conversation." Clicking his fingers like he'd been told to, Adam waited with bated breath to see if the other boy was still on the topic of Erin's pregnancy. The girls reappeared seconds later, Erin smiling brightly at him. "So, did you find something to talk about?"

"There was no conversation." Jonno's voice was quite flat, and he followed silently to the cafe area. George was thrilled to see chicken nuggets in the shape of fossils on the childrens section, and Adam steered a still-blank looking Jonno to a chair and placed a sandwich and drink in front of him. "Not often you see young girls so excited about this stuff." "This is nothing, I don't know how they aren't sick of Indiana Jones or Latin yet." The woman who took his money for the food smiled fondly at the excitable girls, winking and handing Adam extra cake. Erin was very happy to see the extra cake and Jonno seemed to be recovering, looking down at the table in confusion for a moment before shrugging and eating quietly.

"Anything you want to see before we lose the afternoon to the girls and Ancient Egypt Jonno?" The boy shook his head, still looking at Adam warily but not bringing up Erin's secret baby, or trying to stake him. So he figured they were ok for now. "Girls, don't forget to take your plates and stuff back." Both girls nodded dutifully, tidying up the table into a pile of plates and bowls and carrying them back up with bright smiles, receiving a hearty thanks from a staff member for their politeness. Sipping the last of his cola, Adam helped Erin stand up and smiled softly at her before remembering where they were. "Come on you two, you can admire how good you look together later. Jonnoooooo, come on Van Helsing!" There was no real way to resist George when she was being over-energetic, tugging at the sleeve of the younger Van Helsing's jumper as though he wasn't plotting Adam's death frequently and dragging him away with them.

Settling in for the duration, Adam smiled fondly as the two girls looked at the exhibit with pure joy. "Seriously, anything dug up and not in English and those two are set for the day!" Jonno looked surprised at how happy the girls were with the Egyptian stuff, neither put off in the slightest by the unappetising pictures of the process of mummification. "Should they be looking at that stuff alone?" Adam raised an eyebrow, then realised Jonno did not know George as well as he did. "You must be kidding, this is their idea of pretty pictures, they love it! Did you think Erin just invited us to avoid being alone with you or something?" "No!" Jonno denied a little too quickly, but they all knew it was true regardless.

Erin shivered slightly next to him, and Adam hurried to wrap his jacket around her shoulders. "Better?" Erin nodded, brushing a kiss over his cheek and wolf-whistles echoed from wherever the girls had gotten to. Fiddling with his tie as the hours wore on, Adam realised they only had about twenty minutes before the museum closed. "Come on girls, better get going." Met with groans of disappointment, Adam promised to bring them back next weekend if they wanted. "Can Erin come too? She's so cool!" "That's up to her you little demon, I can't make her come because you like her." Erin agreed excitably from next to him, and Adam turned to Jonno. "Do you want to come again?" "Nah, once a month or so is quite enough museum for me, thanks though. I better go, my dads picking me up. Bye guys."

Waiting until they saw Jonno get into his fathers car and drive away (slowly, his father shooting them dark looks from the front seat), the four of them fell about laughing and exchanging high fives. "In credit to him, he lasted the entire trip?" Picking up his sister, Adam spun her around much to her delight. "Excellent work munchkin, you'll make someone a terrifying wife some day." "Love you too ghost boy!" Pulling Chloe into a hug next, Adam thanked her for her part in it. "Anyone who's mean to my brother or you guys is not okay in my books." Lacing his fingers with Erin's and kissing her, mindful of the audience they had, Adam let the girls skip ahead as they headed home.

"Mission successful?" Robin asked as they dropped the girls back at the Branaghs. "I'd say about 95%, he didn't leave early but he was quick to say he didn't want to come with us again." Getting a goodbye hug from George, Adam promised to be home the next afternoon so they could still watch a movie in their pyjamas. "It's tradition munchkin, of course I'll be home for that." Waving to the Branaghs, Adam had no compunctions about holding Erin's hand with no regard for who saw now they'd survived the museum trip. "What was all that about earlier?" "I'll explain when we get back, rather than have to tell it all again to Ingrid and my dad." Erin nodded, pinning him to the wall of the castle driveway to kiss him roughly for a moment. "Did I mention I like that suit thing you have on?" "Once or twice, might have mentioned it. Have I told you you look divine?" Erin smiled, eyes lighting with the compliment. "Not in the last hour?" "Well, you look fucking amazing. Now come on, the sooner we get some studying and talking in the sooner I can drag you to bed again." Erin giggled, letting him pull her into the castle as the sun started to set.

-VAI-

 **I'm so mean to Jonno... I'm not even sorry, he never tries to be nice except when he wants something and sees no issue in his father killing the father to two children... Nah, not ok!**


	7. Building Lies

**Not my characters.**

 **Back again! After updating almost daily a week ago, I feel like it's been ages since I sat down to write this. No Place Like Home is still my favourite thing to write, but this is a close second, I love writing Adam!Vlad (as proved by writing Adams side of Arrogant.)**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

The darkening sky meant Ingrid and the Count were awake when Adam and Erin got back to the castle, grinning widely over the triumph of the day. "So, what happened when the girls dragged me off to ask why we suddenly decided to start dating?" "Is that what that was about?" Erin nodded, laughing about being quizzed in a museum bathroom. "Jonno kind of cornered me, we were careless in the library and he saw what we were reading, said he knew I'd gotten you pregnant. I don't know how it happened, but I hypnotised him. Told him to forget the conversation, and what he'd found out about you." The Count jumped up, long hair waving around in the air. "At last some proper powers my son!" Shrugging off his jacket and loosening his tie, Adam simply grinned to himself at the exuberant vampire.

Ingrid flitted off, returning with Ryan who looked much less exhausted than he had previously. "Try it now?" Knowing where the power lay hidden, Adam tried to bring it out. Ryan's stare turned glassy, so he tried telling him to spin around in circles - the first thing he could think of. Ryan stumbled away a little, then started turning on the spot. "Stop!" Ryan stopped dead, staring blankly. "Well well, there's some vampire in you after all." Adam clicked his fingers and Ryan's face cleared. They returned to Adam's studying, now they knew he could access his powers without the Crown there was suddenly more intense need for him to keep learning. Head buzzing with records of peasant biting contests, Adam was happy when Ingrid kissed him goodnight while the Count was off doing something, he'd forgotten what by the time Ingrid was done with him.

Following Erin to the tower room, Adam carefully lay his new outfit aside while Erin tried to work out the dress Ingrid had given her. Finding the tiny buttons on the back, Adam pressed kisses down her spine as skin was revealed. He was careful to put Ingrid's dress aside so it wouldn't get damaged as he and Erin fell into bed, exchanging kisses and touches as they twined together. "So did that count as a second date? After the shopping trip which could be seen as our first?" Adam nuzzled into Erin's shoulder smiling. "That night was a lot of firsts." His mood fell slightly as he remembered how that had all started. "Erin? Did you actually you know, want me that night?" She sighed in his arms, still facing away from him as they spooned together. "I know I was 'under orders', but I was certainly not disappointed at how cute you were. So yeah, while it was kind of rushed because of the slayers guild, I'm pretty certain it would have happened anyway. Does that answer your question?" "I guess so. Night Erin." "Night Adam."

Perhaps because of 'getting in touch' with his vampire side the previous day, or the constant flow of information about blood drinking after, Adam's nightmares were back with a vengeance that night and he woke shaking and sweating more than once. Erin didn't push, just kissed him softly and let him cling tighter to her. He didn't feel hugely rested the next morning, but waking up with Erin was still enough to make him smile as they went to brush their teeth, fooling around in the shower together and heading downstairs smiling. The vampires were already off sleeping, Renfield awake and leaving cornflakes and a jug of the strange green drink for them before he scuttled off somewhere. They worked on their normal school work together until Adam had to drag himself away by the afternoon, Erin kissing him in the doorway making it much harder to convince himself to leave. "Go you dope, I'll see you tomorrow."

Sighing heavily, Adam shouldered his bag and kissed her again before heading home. Juggling his time between his paper round, his two families and his two 'girlfriends' had Adam feeling like the next month blurred by. June brought home the realisation he was soon to turn fifteen, and that he'd be a father before he was sixteen, oh and a vampire. Dumping his bag on the floor, Adam stripped off his uniform while Erin was downstairs chatting with George and his mum. His back was scarred from Ingrid, his chest still bruised from Erin. He'd started filling out a little more now he was eating and sleeping more regularly, rather than just fucking and drinking coffee to function. Stroking over his no longer prominent ribcage, Adam pulled on a t-shirt and jeans and headed down to join them.

Erin was just beginning to show, though as nobody but he was really looking, Adam didn't think anyone could tell under her school jumper. He recognised the widening of her eyes when the baby kicked or moved, and had to force himself not to press a hand to her stomach and tear up with happiness unless they were alone. As George was roping his girlfriend to help with her jigsaw puzzle, Adam didn't envision them being alone. "So, not long til your birthday son?" Adam nodded, accepting tea from his mum. "What's the plan then?" "Well, it's a school day again this year so I think the general consensus is you're all invited to the castle at the weekend, my father wants to celebrate with us but that side of my... family suffer with light sensitivity problems so they can't come down here."

"Oh dear, is that why Ingrid had to drop out of school before her birthday?" Realising he'd hit on a good excuse, Adam nodded. "Is it genetic?" "I guess so. I'm not sure if Magda - that's Ingrid's mother - suffers with it, so maybe I've inherited it along with the inability to tan. Guess we'll wait and see?" "What will you do about school if it does happen?" Having already planned this due to the fact he wouldn't be able to go back to school anyway, Adam had an answer. "If I start showing symptoms, I'll apply to take my GCSEs early or at the castle or here. I'm certainly studying hard." His mum squeezed his shoulder, thankfully missing Adam's face at the pressure on Ingrid's 'claiming' mark. Erin was smiling fondly as George basically did the puzzle herself, using Erin as a glorified stand to hold up the lid with the picture on it. He hadn't yet tired of being able to hold Erin's hand or kiss her in public, particularly when she spent so much of her free time at his house.

"Munchkin, I thought you wanted help not someone holding the picture?" "That is helping ghost face, shush!" Chuckling as he finished his tea, Adam retrieved his girlfriend and pulled her to sit on the sofa with him. "Mum! Adam stole Erin!" "George, you can't tell him not to hug his girlfriend so you have someone to hold the box when you could lean it against a cup or something." George was pouting now, brightening up when Adam kissed Erin before joining her and actually helping put together the corner to corner rows. They had to stop for dinner, chatty and loud and Erin still happy she didn't get sick. George got sent off for her bath so Adam managed to return to cuddling up on the sofa and kissing Erin periodically, smiling cheekily when his mum tossed a marshmallow at them. "I wouldn't have suggested it if I knew it would mean you two wouldn't leave each other alone."

He and Erin shared a secretive smile when his mum turned around - this was tame behaviour for them. He still hated having to 'walk Erin home', though as more often than not Ingrid came to get her and Adam went for a run - he didn't want to get unfit as he wasn't bothering to take up rugby again - before heading back and showering while Ingrid climbed in through his window, Adam supposed there were worse things in life. Ingrid pressing him into his bed and biting down on his shoulder was quite possibly his second favourite part of almost every night, his first always being able to fall asleep with someone he loved in his arms. Indulging in kissing Ingrid before they separated to sleep, Adam couldn't help smiling. "What are you so happy about?" Adam rolled his eyes, still grinning. "I'm a teenage boy who gets a hot girl in his bed every night, and I love you. Do I need better reasons?" Ingrid rolled her eyes back at him, nipping at his lip before turning over. "Sometimes I forget you're half human, then you get all gooey and I remember." Smiling as he wrapped his arm around her waist, Adam was still glowing with happiness as he fell asleep.

Adam was resolutely ignoring that Erin would have to drop out of school after the end of this school year - both because of her actual age and pregnancy, smiling brightly as they walked to school hand in hand every day and being teased by Robin for their 'sappy' faces. Today was another "take George up to the castle" day, homework and weird drinks in the cavernous throne room and fighting laughter when the Count and Ingrid looked strangely at his bright, energetic sister. Erin distracted George with one the Count's multiple chess sets so Adam could spend time studying his 'vampire' stuff, and he was very thankful Erin was willing to get knocked all over the chess board by his terrifyingly clever sister so he could pass his blood tests. They left when his mum turned up to collect them for dinner, Ingrid tormenting him by pressing her fangs to his neck when she hugged him goodbye - they could hardly kiss with the Count and George there. Erin still thought it was weird and unconventional, but she was more accepting than Adam had any right to ask her to be regardless.

Erin was less discreet, kissing him until George giggled and pulled him away. "See you tomorrow Erin! Bye Count! Bye Ingrid! Come on ghost face." Getting pulled down the castle driveway, Adam always felt like he was leaving a little part of himself behind as he left. Supposing that was his vampire half slowly coming forward as he got older, he figured he'd just have to accept it. "Sorry we took so long mum, someone couldn't stop smooching Erin!" Adam felt his cheeks flush as his mum and George looked at him with knowing smiles, part of him actually looking forward to when he was sixteen and wouldn't be able to blush at all. Changing into pyjamas after dinner, Adam let George laze across his lap like she always did. She was probably getting too old and too big to keep doing this, but Adam didn't know just how many moments like this he'd have left before everything changed next year.

-VAI-

 **Soooo Adam's 15th birthday soon, which I am looking forward to as it's the first time Sally and the Count will properly meet without her being hypnotised since... well.**


	8. Birthday Surprises

**Not my characters.**

 **I'm currently so full of gummy mice I may vomit, and unbelievably sleep deprived, however I'm also itching to write, so here is the chapter containing Adam's fifteenth birthday/party!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

During a rare moment of indulging his desire to constantly touch Erin's swelling stomach, Adam was smiling as he felt the baby kick. "Don't you breather girls have doctors prod and poke you to check the offspring is developing?" Rolling his eyes at the Count for the way he spoke, Adam turned to his human girlfriend. "Generally, yes, but we haven't worked out how to do that given that Erin's pregnancy is not known outside of the people in this castle." Picking up the only book with information on Dimidius babies, Adam turned to the page he'd been reading previously. "And according to this, vampire babies don't miscarry, and that would be our main concern." Ingrid stole the book from him then, after flicking him around the ear just because.

"Not to mention she lives with two vampires who can hear the babies heartbeat without a machine." Adam's attention was grabbed by that. "Really?" Ingrid nodded, tapping her fingers against his leg in a rhythm faster than his heartbeat. "Is that what it sounds like?" "Yeah, it's a good job pregnant breathers smell horrendous, or it would make living with vampires more dangerous." Erin looked as though she wasn't sure if she should be offended or not by that. "How do you mean?" His vampire sister shrugged, flicking through the book without really looking at it. "They just do, I don't know if it's hormones or an evolutionary thing to help stop vampires wiping out humans while they breed, but they smell worse than werewolves."

"Can you not use the word 'breeding'? I'm not carrying a litter of puppies." "No, just a genetic abnormality." "Hey!" Adam was quick to defend against that statement. "In case you've forgotten father dear, you were the one to start this by siring this genetic abnormality." His father scowled slightly, clicking his fingers to summon Renfield to pour him more blood. Adam had long gotten used to that, though the Count was still grizzling about them not being able to drink it in front of George - that would be tough to explain. "That was different, I am the Prince of Darkness!" "And I'm the Chosen One, I believe that means I win." "My apologies Your Highness." The sarcasm in his fathers statement was tangible, and Adam simply sighed before resuming his 'feeling the baby'.

Adam found himself sitting bolt upright when the castle doors blew open, all of them turning to see Magda appearing. "Hello darlings." Nobody seemed all that inclined to answer her, but Adam picked out that she was carrying a small baby in her arms. "What are you and that werewolf spawn doing in my castle, you treacherous witch?" "Charming as ever I see bun-buns." "Don't you bun-buns me you unfaithful creature!" Ingrid had explained this was normal behaviour, so the three teens simply watched the back and forth arguments, sipping at various drinks and fighting laughter. "Who's the baby?" Adam whispered across to Ingrid, who mumbled back "my half-brother I told you about." It was strange to look at the small creature, some fourteen years Adam's junior and apparently half vampire, half werewolf.

"I thought I'd bring my son to see his new brother." Trying to work out the tangle of DNA in amongst everything, Adam shook his head. "He's not actually my brother though is he?" "He's Ingrid's brother, so by extension yours." Raising an eyebrow, Adam figured at the very least he could do with the practice. "Fine, lets have a look at him." Ingrid and Erin both looked at him in confusion as Adam took the baby from Magda, heavier than he looked but quiet enough. "What?" Ingrid was about to answer, but then the Count and Magda were off spouting again and Adam tried to calm the child down before he cried. Digging through his memory, Adam pulled up the babies name. "So... Barry? I'm Adam." The baby looked up at him with deep, inquisitive eyes, drooling slightly but otherwise calming down.

When he next looked up, the two adult vampires were gone though he could hear them still shouting. "Why did you take the baby?" Unable to shrug while he held baby Barry, Adam inclined his head towards Erin. "Well I thought I could use the practice, since I'm going to be a father myself soon." Erin nodded in agreement, holding out to take the baby herself. "Blimey he's heavier than he looks." "Yeah, I thought that." Ingrid was watching them in confusion, stroking her hand over her mark on his shoulder hidden beneath his t-shirt, seemingly unaware she was doing it. "So, how is it the Count worked out this wasn't his baby?" Ingrid looked over to the window, checking it was a moonlit night and clicking her fingers to open the shutters. As soon as the moonlight hit the baby, the human child was replaced by a puppy.

"That is quite a magic trick." "Dad went bats, if mum hadn't left when she did he probably would have bitten the baby." "That's horrible!" "Vampires stupid." Adam couldn't come up with a better response than sticking his tongue out at her over his shoulder, stroking a hand over the now very furry creature. "He's just a baby. Puppy. It's not his fault your parents don't get along." There were still shouts echoing all over the castle, and Ryan appeared looking very confused. "What's going on? Uh, why are you holding a dog?" They gave Ryan a brief explanation, and then watched as he took a goblet of blood from Renfield. "Is it strange to do that now? I mean, after growing up a Slayer?" Ryan shrugged, looking into the glass. "It was at first, but it's just my life now I guess. Why do you ask?"

"I'm fifteen in a few days, which means I only have a year to go before it's my life too. Just curious." Ryan nodded, the two boys did not exactly get on, but a kind of grim resignation seemed to have taken the new half-fang that Erin was not leaving Adam, and making trouble for himself when he was stuck in the limbo of working out life as a vampire was not the wisest choice to make. "Do I still have to keep out of the way for the party?" Adam contemplated it for a moment. "Are you going to be able to be around a room full of humans without trying to eat them? Because they are my friends and my family, I won't put them in danger." "Says the son of Count Dracula." Chuckling, Adam conceded his point. "True, but so long as I'm embracing my vampire self and future as the Chosen One, he's more bark than bite." "I think I'll be ok." "Then so long as you can come up with a good reason why you've been ill the last month or so, you're more than welcome to come." Ryan nodded, disappearing off again to do whatever it is he did with his time.

"So what do we do with the puppy? Take him for a walk?" That comment actually ended up with them taking 'Barry' outside to sniff around the grassy patch outside the castle, Erin giving Adam and Ingrid 'a minute' to indulge their strange relationship where nobody might be watching. Panting as Ingrid finally let him breathe, Adam could feel his cheeks flushing. "Just because your lungs don't work anymore, I do still kind of need mine for the next year." Ingrid simply smirked, pressing him back into the wall and kissing him again. Heart still hammering slightly, they broke apart before either their father or Magda came looking for them and Adam went back to hugging Erin, a hand pressed over the faint bump of her stomach. "Thanks for saying Ryan could come, I know it wasn't an easy choice to make." Brushing a kiss over her cheek, Adam smiled.

"If he's not going to hurt them, then it will probably be good for him to see people, he's going to have to learn to be around them eventually isn't he?" "True. Still, thank you." Erin turned to kiss him properly, smiling softly and her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "We are supposed to be watching the little furball remember." "Right, you were paying so much attention before?" Adam couldn't help chuckling as the girls back-and-forthed, by all accounts as a vampire, a (now-ex) slayer, and both frequently bed partners of Adam, they should probably not get on so well. Shaking his head, Adam kept his eyes on the puppy. "When will he turn back?" "I think when the sun rises, I don't know. This is only the second time I've seen him, the last time was when he was born."

The night was getting late when they eventually went in, a now napping hybrid puppy curling up on Adam's lap when Erin kissed him goodnight and headed up to bed - she tired easier than the insomniac Adam or the nocturnal Ingrid. "Shouldn't you be making the most of time with your girlfriend?" "I don't like this whole timetabled thing, I know I have to make time for both of you but, assuming you guys don't both come to your senses and leave me, I can't wait until I'm not juggling everything around school and stuff." "You're the one determined to make the most of your last year as a breather. Which makes me curious as to whether you've decided about your dimidius halves." Adam nodded, looking at the sleeping puppy - half and half much like himself.

"According to the book and the Count, even with the fact I'm only half vampire myself, the baby is going to be like me - dimidius. If I decide to be human and they don't, I've effectively abandoned them for eternity. I can't risk that. So yes, I am determined to make the most of my last year as a human." Thinking of the upcoming summer holidays, Adam realised it would be the last time he'd be able to go on their usual trips to things like the beach and sailing. "Are you not worried about what you'll be giving up?" Lacing his fingers with Ingrid's and hoping she could read his feelings for her in his face, Adam shook his head. "Either way, I have to give up something. But I'm going to be a father, it's not just about my life and I'll be gaining things too."

* * *

Waking up the morning of his fifteenth birthday, Adam smiled at the dozing Ingrid in his arms before nudging her awake. "Fucking paper round." Chuckling at Ingrid's 'morning attitude', he hurried to brush his teeth and clean his face up before returning to kiss her goodbye. It was a little more desperate than usual, as Erin was the one who'd be staying with him tonight after school - relaxed rules on his birthday. It was almost too tempting to let Ingrid pull him back to bed, her body against his where she pinned him to the wall. Struggling to breathe through the haze of desire, Adam wrapped his arms around her. "I'll miss you too, but it's only one night and Erin said you're welcome to come visit so long as it's not all part of some ploy for me to get a threesome." Ingrid pinched his arm for that one. "Dream on." Winking before shaking his head, Adam held her close.

"So, I'll see you tonight?" Ingrid nodded, kissing him again and leaving Adam dazed and breathless as she flew out of his window. It took him a minute to clear his head enough to realise he was supposed to be doing his paper round, hurrying to dress and cycle around Stokely. His mum was already awake when he came down in his uniform, the usual birthday pancake pile waiting. "Happy Birthday son." "Thanks mum." "Another year older ghost face!" announced George coming downstairs, giving him a squeeze around the head as he was sitting down on her way to open the door. Given that Erin had just knocked it, it was good timing on his little sisters part. Forcing his eyes to stay on her face rather than looking down to her stomach, Adam wiped the syrup from his face to kiss her in greeting.

"Happy birthday." "Thanks. Pancakes?" Erin peered at the table in confusion, laughing at the smiley-face pancakes. "Giles family tradition, shut up." Erin continued giggling, though she did agree to eating them after dropping her 'sleepover' things off, and he smiled as she sat next to him. "I don't know how you'll sleep tonight, he must glow in the dark or something surely?" Tossing a stray marshmallow from last nights hot chocolate at George, Adam cleaned syrup from his hands and face and laced his fingers with Erin's. "Oh I do hate working for your birthday." "Mum, it's fine. We're doing the party thing at the weekend, celebrating with my family is more important than exact dates." Letting her kiss him on the cheek goodbye, Adam tugged Erin along behind George for school.

Adam barely stopped blushing all day, random people now aware of his birthday meaning he was periodically under a spotlight of attention until he escaped with Erin to a quiet corner of the sports field. "Damn I hate being the victim of attention." Erin wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up to kiss him. He recognised the way her face changed slightly, feeling her pull his hand to her stomach. "I still can't quite believe it, it's so amazing." "I was so scared when I found out. I'm still kind of surprised you forgave me for everything." Moving his hand before anyone could see, Adam kissed her again. "Don't get me wrong, it's not the ideal start to a relationship. But it happened, and I can whine and get angry about it, or I can accept that I love you and you saved me and Ingrid that night, and that everything has happened for a reason." Erin smiled brightly up at him then, both of them jumping when the school bell broke their little bubble. "Plus, I doubt there is another person in the world who can accept me and Ingrid and not think I'm a terrible person. Just promise to ask permission for DNA in future?"

Erin slapped him on the arm, kissing him and dragging him off to class. They spent the afternoon and early evening with George, Erin watching him chase his little sister around the garden and laughing when they wrestled on the floor. Erin smiled fondly when Adam sat down to fix George's hair after her bath, quickly showering himself and they all settled on the sofa watching movies until George fell asleep. "You're so good with her, I don't think you really need practice." Talking in hushed tones so as not to wake George, Adam shrugged. "George is almost eleven, not a newborn." "We learn that stuff on the way, what matters is that you have love to offer them, security." "I don't know about security, my future is a little up in the air but I do know I already love them."

Hearing the creak upstairs that meant Ingrid was here, Adam lifted George up to bed and ducked into his room. Ingrid kissed him before he could get a word out, but Adam was hardly complaining. "My mum will be back in fifteen minutes, so we won't be long ok?" Ingrid's eyes flashed red in the dark, normally a worrying sign but she simply tugged his sleep shirt off, scraping her fangs down his throat before biting down on his shoulder. Adam had to bite down on his hand not to cry out, whimpering as Ingrid 'claimed' him again. Shaking as he pulled his t-shirt on, he caught Ingrid wiping blood off her mouth. "Now you can go." Infinitely thankful he wore a lot of black t-shirts, Adam barely had chance to explain to Erin why he looked a little dazed before his mum came back. "What did you do to your neck son?" Remembering Ingrid dragging sharp points down there only moments before, Adam was thankful Erin interjected. "He and George were playfighting earlier, I think he tickled her too much so she tried to scratch him to get him off her."

"Go on you two, it's still a school night. Did you have a good birthday son?" Hugging his mum goodnight, Adam nodded and headed up with Erin. He could see her smirking in the mirror when he was brushing his teeth, shoving him ahead to go let Ingrid 'maul' at him again for a moment. His vampire half-sister took full advantage of it, pressing him into his bed and Adam was struggling to breathe or even think when Erin came in. "I'm understanding, but let's not get carried away." Adam nodded, forcing himself to wriggle out from under Ingrid and getting smirks from both girls at the tent of his pyjamas. "Shut up." "Didn't say a word." Sighing, Adam lay back on his bed and tried to get his hormones under control for a moment. "I knew there was a reason most men don't date two girls, means you don't get ganged up on." This seemed to amuse both girls, quiet giggles echoing through his bedroom and Ingrid pulling him to lean against her as they chatted quietly about his upcoming blood tests.

Ingrid left before midnight, and Erin was quick to bring Adam's hormones back up to raging as she stripped him. They had to be more careful, more quiet as he knew his mum would be wary of 'illicit' behaviour she was unaware went on with startling regularity. It was also difficult to remember to unlock his door and redress - he had zero doubts George would barrel through his door expecting to catch them up to something. Pushing his window open wider, Adam felt Erin curl up in his arms and smiled to himself as he fell asleep. As he suspected, George threw his door open shockingly early and looked almost disappointed to find Adam watching Erin sleep - he wasn't brave enough to wake his pregnant girlfriend before he had to. "Breakfast in twenty minutes ghost face." George was surprisingly quiet for this time of day as she whispered the information. "See you downstairs then munchkin." Sighing to himself, he shook Erin awake gently. Her sleepy smiles when she looked at him still took his breath away as he got up for the bathroom, trading places with her a moment later and going to get dressed.

He had to bite back a whine of frustration when Erin shed her pyjamas and pulled him in to kiss her, her skin warm even through his uniform. The faint red lines on his neck had faded by now, though his shoulder was still twinging under his backpack as they headed to school. Ingrid seemed thoroughly determined to make up for 'missing out' the previous night, stripping him naked within seconds and not letting him move from the spot she pinned him to the bed for what seemed like hours. His body still shaking as they settled down to sleep for the night, Adam felt cool hands trace over his sweaty skin. "You don't look half dead anymore, have you noticed?" Adam nodded, indicating his wardrobe. "I don't need a belt to hold up my skinny jeans or my uniform anymore, though my school stuff is still a little big on me."

They shelved the emotional talk for later, knowing Adam would be staying at the castle after his birthday party. Rather than getting used to it, Adam felt like he only wanted both Ingrid and Erin more every day, feeling his heart race as Ingrid kissed him goodbye the next morning, promising to be awake in time for the afternoon party. Forcing the dopey grin off his face in the shower, Adam dressed in jeans that didn't highlight how thin he'd gotten, even if he was filling out more again now. His skin showed the exhaustive nights spent with both girls, bruises that still made him smile at memories as he pulled on his t-shirt and headed downstairs.

* * *

"So, first official party with the new family ghost face?" "I guess so munchkin." Adam was a little nervous if he was honest, it was the first time both sides of his life would truly come together. Erin was showing, not massively but she had to dress to cover it outside of school uniforms now she was almost five months along. Plus it was more people that might notice the way he looked at Ingrid, and more people to explain Renfield to which was somewhat worrying. "Don't look so sad, I'm sure you'll survive the happy birthday song." Rolling his eyes, Adam flicked a bit of toast at George and received a swat around the back of his head from his mum. "Behave you two!" George stuck her tongue out at their mothers back, making Adam giggle but they were both smiling innocently when their mum turned back to look at them. His heart ached a little at the thought of the countdown to his life changing sixteenth birthday, but he shelved that for worrying about later as he packed up his overnight things and watched George help his mum pack the car through the window.

Luckily, Ingrid had thought to bring Adam his new outfit from the Count the night before, which he hurried to change into and looked in the mirror. He supposed it did make him look more 'vampiric', even if the boots were still a pain. The castle was easily in walking distance, but it made more sense to transport food and gifts and ten people on wheels. He had to admire Erin's dedication to the cover up of her living at the castle, meeting them at his house only to go straight back. After they'd gotten giggles and wolf whistles from everyone for kissing, that was. "Now now you two, we have a party to go to!" They both flushed gently as they climbed into the car. "It's great now Adam has a girlfriend, I get to ride at the front so he can look all gooey-eyed at Erin across the back seats." "I am not above un-inviting you to my party you little devil!" "Oh you so are, you know you'd miss me." Knowing that was true, Adam gave George the victory in favour of looking up at the castle as they drove along, the Branagh camper van close behind.

There was a moment stolen with Ingrid, who was waiting in his tower bedroom when Adam went to drop off his bag while everything was set up downstairs. "Have I mentioned you look pretty vampiric in that outfit?" Struggling to think straight with Ingrid's cool breath against his neck, Adam nodded. "As much as I would love to stay up here with you, if you don't move soon I won't be able to go back downstairs and there is no way we wouldn't get caught right now." Ingrid smirked but pressed one last kiss to his mouth before stepping back, letting Adam get his body back under control. The 'light sensitivity problem' excuse had been told to everyone, so that nobody would open the window covers before nightfall and accidentally melt Adam's vampire family into dust.

Holding Ingrid's hand until they were almost back in the throne room, Adam ignored the dull sense of loss and forced a smile onto his face. Now the decorations were all up, Adam thought the cavernous room was an adequate representation of himself. One half was clearly done by the Count (or rather, Renfield under orders of the Count), red and black and with a general feel of Halloween coming early. The other was bright colours, and it made an interesting contrast overall. Returning to his socially acceptable girlfriend, Adam kissed her cheek and watched as the party slid effortlessly to full swing. His father was almost conspicuous by his absence for a time, but Ingrid informed him the Count was asleep and would turn up soon enough. Ryan did spend some time at the party, saying it was only right he keep an eye on his sisters boyfriend at some point and making Chloe and George giggle.

"Ah, my son!" That was the signal his father was now awake and at the party, looking around in confusion for a moment before turning and calling Renfield. Everyone but Ingrid looked mildly confused as what looked like a taxidermy wolf toy on wheels was pushed into the room, a black and red ribbon and bow around it's neck. "Happy birthday!" Adam was saved the trouble by the Branagh twins of asking "what the hell is that?". "Why, it's a stuffed hell hound of course! It's a traditional Transylvanian gift on a boys tenth birthday, but for obvious reasons he's getting it now." Everyone was already somewhat aware the Count was a little 'eccentric', so they sort of nodded along and Adam took a closer look at the 'hell hound'. He thought he must be imagining things when he could have sworn he saw it wink.

Returning to the party, there was more bright blushing as an enormous cake with fifteen candles on was revealed, and everyone except Renfield (which was likely a mercy) sang 'Happy Birthday' to him. "It's not my actual birthday anymore, why do I have to suffer this?" "Shut up and make a wish ghost features." Having absolutely no idea what he'd wish for, Adam simply blew out the candles. There was cheering and clapping, then cake handed around and Adam melted away from the center of attention for blissful minutes. Catching the Branagh twins 'try it on' with Ingrid, Adam went over and stood between them. "Not hitting on my sister now are you boys?" He could see the cogs turning in their brains for a moment, processing the way Adam was right before shaking their heads. "No not at all!" Ingrid flashed him a dark smile that had lust simmering in his stomach, clamping down on the impulse to press her into the nearest flat surface regardless of the room full of people.

As the party started to wind down, Adam was hugging George goodbye. "Have you seen mum?" Looking around, Adam couldn't spot either of his parents. "This place is full of old corridors, hang here with Erin. She might just have got lost on the way to the bathroom." He knew it was risky to let Ingrid 'come looking' with him, while her vampire senses would be an advantage, the fact they got slowed down by him being unable to stop himself kissing her was not an advantage. Forcing themselves apart, Adam kept on looking. "This way." Ingrid pointed to one of the halls leading down towards the crypt. Trusting her vampiric senses, Adam followed. He suddenly wished he hadn't, his mind taking a minute to process that his mum was kissing his father. "Whoa! Sorry to interrupt, George is looking for you mum. Uh, yeah I'm gonna leave now."

Stopping a few corridors away, closer to the main hall again now, Ingrid poked him to get his attention. "Why do you look like you've just been staked? For you to be born, they would have done a lot more than that." "It's not that, it's more what if they end up together, like for real? My parentage, Erin's pregnancy, Ryan's turning, everything else is all going to come out. Not to mention it's going to be much harder to hide... us." "Try to breathe a little would you? You don't know any of that is going to happen!" Nodding, Adam let Ingrid pull him into a hug - they couldn't risk more as his mum would no doubt be looking for him. "On the plus side, at least he wasn't biting her?" Clutching Ingrid a little harder, he nodded. "Come on, let's not subject Erin to more alone time with George if you want her ears still working later." Chuckling, Adam let her pull him along to the main room again.

Pulling off his tie and undoing his top button - he was starting to feel suffocated but there was a stark purple bruise from Ingrid blooming proudly on his collarbone - Adam sank into a chair. "She should just be a minute George." Sure enough, their mum did appear a moment later, cheeks slightly flushed and an oddly guilty look on her face. "Go, we'll talk when I get home tomorrow." She nodded, hugging him goodbye and leading George out of the castle. "Is that everyone?" "Yeah, the Branaghs went first. It was not fun trying to convince them Erin was staying in my room and not yours." The Count appeared a moment later, looking a little unsure of himself. "Ah, Adam my boy. I hope you don't... misconstrue what you saw." "Right now, I don't care if you or my mum kiss a hundred people each. I'm more concerned about how it could affect all the things that are secret here." "What secrets are those then Master Adam?" Adam fell out of his chair with shock, as the voice came from the 'stuffed hell hound'. "Did that just talk?"

"Of course, what do you expect it to do?" "It's a toy!" "Excuse me, I am not a toy!" Shaking his head, Adam poked at the hell hounds face. That got him a very realistic growl, which had him backing up. "Anyway, ignoring the freaky toy thing, my point was things like my hidden parentage and Erin's very much a secret pregnancy for starters. Then there's the fact Erin and Ryan live here, the fact I'm turning into a vampire in a year, oh and I'm some super special vampire at that. All in all, I'd say you trying to seduce my mother is something of a security problem." Feeling his chest tighten, Adam was immensely grateful to Ingrid for squeezing down hard on his shoulder, pain flaring until he calmed. "Right. Right. I see your point. It's strange though, most people in your situation would be happy to have their parents together." "Most people aren't the illegitimate son of Count Dracula."

-VAI-

 **NAUGHTY PARENTS.**

 **I couldn't help it, they are both clearly still all about each other at the end of Season 5 and you can't convince me otherwise.**


	9. Secrets Out

**Not my characters.**

 **So... Sally kissed the Count! Naughty parents, I tried to talk them out of it... honest.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

"True, but there are many people it would be worse to be the progeny of!" Growling in frustration, Adam realised he was losing his temper as storm weather rumbled outside. "Well children, I shall leave you to... chat amongst yourselves. I have some hunting to do!" The Count blurred into bat form and flew out of the window before anyone could answer, leaving four teenagers, Renfield and a talking, taxidermy toy in the throne room. Renfield mumbled to himself and scuttled off, and Adam blinked in surprise when the stuffed wolf wheeled himself over to them. "I think we didn't get properly introduced earlier, my name is Zoltan. I would shake your hand, but my paws are nailed to the wood." Sitting back down, Adam looked at the wolf.

"I'm Adam, and why the flaming heck can you talk?" "Just chalk it up to vampire things, the point is he can talk." "Helpful Ingrid." His sister flicked his ear for his 'attitude', Ryan and Erin sitting fairly quietly until his pregnant girlfriend stood up, no longer wearing clothes to hide the curve of her stomach. "I'm going to go spend time with Ryan for a couple of hours, you two can... talk." Even Ingrid looked surprised as Erin swiped some of the leftover party food before heading upstairs to her room with her brother. Adam understood though, she could see he was wound up and Ingrid was more suited to this particular mood of his, not to mention Erin didn't always feel 'up to' sex lately. Adam didn't mind so long as he got to spend time with Erin, but as Ingrid flitted him to the crypt, he wasn't complaining now.

He grumbled at having to remove his clothes carefully, the 'fancy' vampiric attire wasting time that could be spent with Ingrid naked against him. Eventually the clothes were set aside, Ingrid's following soon after and Adam felt the concerns of the evening fall away as she bit down on his shoulder and pressed him into her bed. Her bed was essentially kept for her to have somewhere to throw him down, she slept in her coffin and they rarely fucked in the castle as it was too risky. But the Count was out hunting and Adam didn't care if he walked in as Ingrid lay beneath him, eyes flashing dark as she scratched at his back and shoulders. Laying against him after, her cool skin blissful against his sweaty chest, Adam could only pant out "thank you" as he came down.

She pulled him into the shower, kissing him when he hissed in pain as water and soap stung the new marks in his skin and joining him back in the throne room to wait until Erin and Ryan were done talking. "Don't worry, no breathers" was promised as she took Ryan out hunting, and Adam went to join Erin in bed. "Thanks for that" Erin rolled over to look at him then. "What?" "Giving up time with me so I could burn off some anxiety." Smoothing hands over his bare chest, Erin pressed a kiss to a new mark from Ingrid's nails. "You needed it, and I know you're wary of getting rough with me the further along I am. I do appreciate you taking the time to shower though." Chuckling as they cuddled together for sleep, Adam whispered "I love you" against her shoulder and smiled as Erin returned the sentiment sleepily.

Knowing he couldn't put it off, Adam packed up his stuff and forced himself to go home. His mum had taken his birthday gifts, minus 'Zoltan' obviously, which were in a disorganised pile on his desk - George had helped bring them up then. When he headed back downstairs, Adam saw George was gone. "Elizabeth took her for the afternoon, I thought we should talk." Nodding as he accepted coffee from his mum - his face no doubt screamed the long night - Adam sat down with her at the table. "I don't really know where to start." "Kissing my father would be a good start, not to mention disappearing from the party." Adam didn' want to get angry, but the frustration of last night was building up as he worried over everything he was juggling to hide, to protect.

"I am sorry about that, it was unfair to you on both counts." "So, are you planning on getting together or something?" His mum looked surprised at his bluntness for a moment. "I don't know, it was all quite strange. We were just talking about how you'd grown up, he wanted to know about your life and then it just sort of happened. He's very... charming." "Definitely not something I inherited from him, how long did it take me to ask out Erin?" Ignoring the fact she was already pregnant when he did so, that is. "Just, be careful mum. Don't rush into things for my benefit, I don't resent how I came into the world and I'm not pining for a perfect family unit. Not many boys in my position would luck out into being able to know their father." She hugged him then, and Adam felt guilt thick in his throat - he didn't want to lose what he had now and that was what was at stake.

"I have to say, it doesn't look like he's aged a day since I last... saw him." Given that he was over six hundred, that didn't surprise Adam nearly as much as it did his mum. "Yeah, apparently it's a family trait, so I guess I'll look good when I'm forty?" As he would still look like a teenager, he wasn't sure if 'good' was the word. "What are you hiding son?" Hoping his face didn't betray him, Adam looked at his mother. "What do you mean?" "I assumed the way you'd been acting since February was because you were carrying around the whole secret dad thing, but if anything, the weight on your shoulders only seems to have gotten heavier."

Sighing, Adam sipped at his coffee. "You really want to know?" Figuring he always had a vampire on hand to hypnotise his mother now if she didn't react well, Adam didn't have the energy to keep carrying everything right now. "I really do." "Ok. They are vampires." Her mug crashed to the table, upending coffee everywhere and he jumped aside, but she didn't even seem to notice. "I'm sorry, what?" "My father is a vampire, so is Ingrid, and when I turn sixteen, I will be too." Coffee was starting to run onto her lap, and his mum finally noticed and climbed up herself. "You're serious aren't you?" "Deadly. You can't tell anybody though, it's too dangerous. My particular genetics as a half breed are illegal in the vampire world, I'm an anomaly, an abomination." Watching, Adam saw her mouth open and close several times without a single word coming out.

Cleaning the messy table while his mum quietly melted down, Adam re-made their drinks but left the mug out of range of his mothers shaking hands. "Vampires. Your father is a vampire." "Yep. I am the half human son of the one and only Count Dracula." "How are you so calm about all this?" Adam shrugged, sipping his drink. "I was surprised, but I've known since Ingrid's birthday. I can't change it, so I just accepted it." She finally calmed down enough for Adam to trust her with a mug again, clutching at it like it held all the answers in the world. "So, you turn sixteen and what, turn into a monster?" That hurt, but Adam didn't suppose she knew better. "You kissed him! Yesterday! And you've met Ingrid. Are they monsters?" "They are vampires!" "And? They are still technically my family, and my future. If that's what you think of me now, then say so and I'm gone."

"What?" Placing his cup down, Adam squared his shoulders. "If you think I'm a monster, that they are monsters, then I will go. I need you mum, but I can't change what I will turn into and I won't put you through having to look at the 'monster' in your house." She didn't answer him, staring unseeingly for a long time. Feeling the dull ache in his chest, Adam went upstairs and packed up his bag, figuring if nothing else Ingrid could always come get more of his stuff at night. Right now all he needed was what was already in his bag, his wallet, the 'important documents' folder, his laptop and his school uniform - he had clothes at the castle already. Shrugging on his jacket and holding his backpack, Adam went back downstairs. "Mum?" She was still looking at him like she expected him to sprout fangs and start killing, so Adam bit back tears and tossed his house keys on the side.

"Fine. You know where I'll be. Say bye to George for me." Running out before he could break down, Adam jumped on his bike and pushed himself back up the castle. Leaning it up against the wall - who was going to steal it up here? - Adam stumbled through the doors, tears already falling. "Back so s - blood and garlic Adam, what's happened?" Ingrid was just waking for the evening as he got there, catching him as he fell where he stood. "I told mum I was a vampire, and she called me a monster. I told her I'd leave if that's what she thought, so here I am." Ingrid pulled him over to the sofa, looking at him in surprise. "I heard the door, what's going on? Adam?" Erin descended the tower stairs, taking in the state of him. He was about to explain again, though through his tears he was half-incoherent but Ingrid saved him the trouble and repeated his words.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry Adam. You know you aren't a monster." "Do I?" "One of the first things you brought up was ways to get around drinking human blood, that's generally the exciting part to a teenage vampire." "What's going on? I go to sleep for the day and suddenly the castle reeks of panic and sadness." Looking up, Adam saw his father and felt a fresh wave of tears hit him. "What's wrong with him?" "His mum didn't take the vampire revelation too well." "Should we go down there and hypnotise her... again?" "No. It won't make a difference, I'll still know she thinks I'm a monster." His voice was hollow now, echoing the broken feeling in his chest. "Why did you tell her? I'm not saying how she reacted was right, but why tell her in the first place?"

"I don't know, I just got so exhausted carrying everything around and she kept asking what was getting to me. And I guess I wanted to know if I had to completely give up that side of my family when I... transform. Bats, that sounds like such a stupid word to become a vampire." "Did you just say bats?" Rolling his words in his mind, Adam nodded. "I guess I did. Why?" "Castle Dracula is rubbing off on you." Ingrid was still supporting him with an arm around his shoulders, Erin clutching his hand. He felt himself slowly drifting, emotional exhaustion dragging his eyes closed against his will. Nobody tried to wake him, but the sounds of arguments reached through the haze of sleep. "I want to see my son!"

His eyes cracked open at that, hearing "That's rich given the state he came up here in." from Ingrid. Pushing himself into a seated position, he rubbed at his eyes to find his mum stood in the castle, Erin asleep next to him still holding his hand. "It's fine Ingrid, I'm awake. Kind of." "Doesn't matter, she shouldn't wonder round where the monsters might get her." Carefully letting go of Erin's hand, Adam stood. He was a little unsteady, but Ingrid moved to support him and he gave her a sleepy smile. "Ingrid's right though mum, you shouldn't dwell around us." "I'm sorry for what I said, it was a shock! Is it... is it true?" "No, I made it up for kicks, of course it's true!"

Ingrid hissed, and Adam fought the spike of desire he always got when seeing her fangs - not something his mother needed to know. "Oh my... it is true. You're vampires." "Yes yes, it's all true Sally my dear." The Count materialised behind his mother then, and Adam hoped his still-tired face could convey how much it was not ok for his father to bite her. "Does Erin know?" Adam nodded. "She used to be a vampire slayer. Ended up falling for me, funny how things work out." "Come home Adam?" Shaking his head, Adam managed to stand by himself. "No. I can't do that." "What about George?" Ingrid rolled her eyes, leaning casually against the table. "In case you've forgotten, his baby sister has been coming up here a couple of days a week for what, almost two months? And she's been totally safe. Adam can stay here, and she can visit."

"Unless you think I'm too much of a monster to be around her that is." "Son, I'm sorry. I don't think you're a monster." He could see the distrust in her eyes still, and it burned in his chest. "You do. And from now to my sixteenth birthday, you'll be looking for every sign you can that I'm about to turn all evil and dangerous. I can't live like that." His mum still looked sad, so Adam sighed and turned to the others. "Give us a minute would you? Ingrid, would you mind taking Erin to a bed? She'll be annoyed we let her sleep in a funny position." He knew it was for show when Ingrid picked up Erin and flitted off, the Count grumbling but disappearing himself. "What was that?" "Vampires are fast." Sitting down at the table, Adam gestured to the seat opposite.

"I'm sorry mum, but I can't just forget what you said. You say we're monsters, but I'm not even supposed to exist and these so called evil creatures have accepted me. Erin is supposed to want to kill us all, and she loves me. Ingrid's right, George can visit. And so can you, if you want. But I can't just come back, not to live under a spotlight for something I had no say in." "What about school? Your job? Robin?" "I can still get to school from here - Ingrid managed remember? And I can still do my rounds, and Robin can visit here too." "There's no changing your mind is there?" Adam shook his head sadly. "I appear to have inherited two sets of stubbornness, I am immovable." "Adam?" Turning, he saw Ingrid. "I've put her down with Ryan, we should get moving." "Moving? Wait, Ryan?" Sighing, Adam turned back to his mother.

"Ryan's a vampire, he lives here. It's a long story, but yeah, you should be going." "Adam, please come home." Fighting the impulse to cave in just to take the sad look out of his mothers face, Adam shook his head. "I can't. Now go. Please." She was crying, but his mum eventually turned and left. "Dad?" The Count dropped into the room. "We're going to pick up the rest of his stuff, if Erin wakes up tell her?" "Must I lower myself to talk with the slayer girl?" "I'm going to get my stuff so I can live here, that's what you wanted isn't it?" "Oh, very well! Renfield! Start the hearse!" Rolling his eyes, Adam let Ingrid wrap her arms around him. Hearing the car start up outside, Adam closed his eyes against the blur of flitting and found himself in his bedroom. "Dad and Renfield will be along soon, bag up what's important while I take this apart." Looking at her indicating his bed in confusion, Adam raised questioning eyes to her.

"You can put this in your room, and then we can set up the bed you have now so George or Robin can stay over?" Understanding dawned, and Adam leaned up to kiss Ingrid in thanks, fighting not to lose himself. "Later lover boy, come on" Ingrid smirked at him, and Adam set about dumping all his clothes into one bag, his books in another. "You haven't even opened half of them" Ingrid indicated the gifts on his desk. "Didn't seem important, I had all the time in the world before." "Go grab the spare stuff for this, your mum is almost back. George is next door still." Not bothering to question Ingrid's vampire senses, Adam crept along in the dark to grab his spare bedsheets, stopping off to grab his stuff out of the bathroom. He almost squealed in surprise when Ingrid pushed his door closed, locked it and pulled him to the ground. "She's back, as soon as the hearse is here we can get moving but I doubt you want her to find us in here?"

Feeling like his life was turning into a sitcom, Adam crept along to the window and saw his mum getting out of the car. Ducking back down, heart hammering enough to make Ingrid's eyes fix on his pulse point, Adam tried to breathe calmly. The front door slammed, and even without vampire senses he could hear his mum crying downstairs. "It's for the best, if she can't accept you now then how would she have dealt with it when it was happening next year?" Feeling tears rise himself at Ingrid's words, Adam nodded. "Good job you've practiced this escape stuff, the hearse is here." Blinking seemed to make his things disappear, and Adam found himself dropping his clothes bag out of the window, still a little surprised when Ingrid hovered outside his window to take the more breakable things.

Turning back as he shrugged his old backpack filled with mementos on, his room looked frighteningly empty as he scrambled onto the windowsill. It was all starting to feel overwhelming, but Adam spied his still-locked door as he was about to climb down. Raising his hand, Adam clicked his fingers and saw the door unlock. Dropping down the drainpipe, tears rising again, Adam let Ingrid pull him close as he felt the split inside him shatter into pieces.

-VAI-

 **Oooooh angst.**


	10. Tiny Allies

**Not my characters.**

 **NightOwl95 - Thank you for that review, and that was essentially what I was aiming for with the door lock! Please don't cry!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

When they returned to the castle, Adam was still crying hard and Ingrid pushed him onto the sofa, somehow convincing their father to help change around his room as they were so much faster (he thought there were threats involving garlic, stakes and hypnotism but still). Erin woke while they were still buzzing around the castle, sleepy and warm as she wrapped arms around his shaking body and held him. "As breather-ish as it all is, in the interests of not drawing any more attention to us I suggest you go and get some sleep, school in the morning my son!" Still a little out of it, Adam let Erin pull him to the tower room. "Stay?" Ingrid looked at him strangely, Erin still behind him. "Not like that, I just... I need you both with me right now." It took her a minute, but Ingrid eventually nodded in agreement.

They seemed confused when he pulled them to lie either side of him, or rather, that he didn't have Erin in front of him so he could rest a hand over her growing bump. "Gonna explain?" Feeling vulnerable and small, he sighed. "I remember you holding me once, before you transformed and your heartbeat against my back was soothing. And Erin's a lot warmer than you, it's kind of comforting to feel someone who's cold like me." Hoping that was enough explanation, Adam pulled Erin tighter against him and clutched Ingrid harder, falling asleep faster than he expected. Clearly having stayed awake for the few hours sleep he and Erin stole, Ingrid poked him awake before sunrise. "I need to go before I get dusted by dawn, and you have a paper round to do."

Groaning unhappily, Adam nodded and crawled out of bed. He hadn't even gotten undressed before collapsing last night, so he hurried to clean himself up from the tearful night, brushing his teeth and feeling strange as he cycled back down to his... his mums house where his papers were waiting. "I need to change my address with them or I won't have time to keep this up." Grumbling in complaint as he dressed for school, Adam spent a few minutes just clutching Erin tightly before letting her convince him she needed food. Ingrid threatened to throw fireballs at him if he started not eating again as she passed to hit her coffin for the day, so Adam reluctantly chewed on his cornflakes. "Right. School. Because that won't be horrendous. I don't even know what George knows, if she knows."

Erin squeezed his hand, kissing him softly before they left. "You aren't alone remember?" He saw her face twitch as her stomach fluttered, letting the feeling of his growing child kicking bolster him, strengthen him. They didn't see George and the Branaghs until they were almost at the school gates, and Erin squeezed his hand again before letting go as George threw herself to hug him. "Ghost face, mum said you left but didn't say why and that I can only go to the castle to see you now and what's going on?" "Breathe munchkin." George finally stopped, drawing in a deep breath and looking at him with sad eyes. "It's complicated munchkin, if you want, come up to the castle after school and I'll try to explain?" His sister didn't look appeased, but nodded and hurried off as the school bell rang.

"I have no idea what to say to her." "We'll figure it out. Come on, we have confused looks from Robin to deal with, oh and maths." Forcing a chuckle at Erin's words, he let the warm hand wrapped around his lead him to class. School was a blur, and they hid in the library for most of break and lunch so George would be less likely to track them down. They left so Erin could eat, and he let her wheedle him into chewing half-heartedly on a couple of bat biscuits (which he really hoped weren't made of real bats at the castle) and downing his bottle of water. Given how thin he'd gotten before, he knew why she was worried but he still felt too sick to eat. "I called mum, told her I was going with you. She said she'll pick me up before dinner, and hopes you'll come back." Letting George cling to his hand rather than Erin, even if she was half a foot taller than the last time she'd done that now, Adam tried not to cry as they walked up to the castle.

George dropped her bag and slumped ungracefully into a seat at the table, already fiddling the ornate chess set that rarely moved from there now. "What happened? Mum was really upset last night and I could hardly get a word out of her. What did I miss?" Sighing, Adam stood. "Wait right here, I will be two minutes." If he was going to risk telling George the truth, and his genius of a sister wouldn't settle for less, he needed Ingrid. Erin caught his look and moved to close the window shutters, leaving his little sister looking confused. Ingrid was not impressed about being woken mid afternoon, but one look at Adam's face and she was listening to his reasoning. "Right. Come on then." She kissed him first, sending him up ahead while she dressed and put makeup on.

Erin was mercifully distracting George with a chess game again, but he could see his little sister fidgeting and Erin's anxiety was a clear line across her shoulders. "Come sit." George leapt up, falling to sit next to him on the sofa. "Me and mum had a fight, about my... my new family I suppose." "Why? And what is so bad you had to suddenly move out? Did your new dad make you?" Supposing he could see why she'd think that, he shook his head. "No. It was my choice. See George, they aren't like everyone else, and neither am I." "I know you're all paler than the moon on snow but that doesn't make you that strange." Ingrid came up then, looking closely at them and sitting down with Erin to watch.

"Remember all those dreams I used to get?" "The vampire ones? About Count Dracula and stuff? What do they have to do with anything?" Feeling the words stick in his throat, Adam tried not to cry. "Well, it turns out there was a reason I got them. See, Count Dracula... he's my father. He's a vampire, so is Ingrid. And this time next year, I will be too." "Whoa. Are you losing the plot Adam? Vampires aren't real!" "Do you remember the words that you found on your wall? I didn't do them consciously, but I did find what they meant." George was looking at him strangely, eyes wide and a little fearful. Picking up the only book they had to reference Erin's pregnancy, Adam flipped it open and held it out to George. "Dimidius. Half breather? That's a human right? And half vampire. Are you saying this is you?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." George was quiet for a few moments, looking closely at the book. "So, how did this end in you and mum having a fight?" "I told her the truth, and she called me and Ingrid and my father monsters. I said if she thought I was a monster, then I'd leave. She followed me up here later, but I knew even when she said she didn't, she still thought I was. I have less than a year left to fit all the human experiences I can into my life, and I can't do that with mum watching my every move thinking I might hurt someone." He turned away then, not wanting to see the same emotions rise in George's eyes. He was surprised when a small hand wrapped around his wrist.

"I don't care what you are Adam, I know you'd die before you hurt me. Is this all serious? And I guess Erin knows since she's still sitting here listening?" "Yeah, it's all true. And Erin knows, yeah." George looked over at Ingrid, and he knew exactly what was going to come out of her mouth. "Can I see your fangs?" Ingrid actually rolled her eyes, but opened her mouth to show the double sets of points. "Do you have fangs Adam?" "Not until I'm sixteen. Look George, you cannot tell anyone. Ever. Not even Chloe. It's dangerous, I shouldn't even have told you or mum. If anyone ever finds out I'm a dimidius child, the whole Dracula clan will be killed, and you and mum would be in danger." Wise beyond her years after everything that had happened, George nodded seriously at him.

"So where is the famous Count Dracula then?" Checking his watch, Adam saw the sun was still up. "Probably sleeping. Do you promise never to say a word to anyone other than when you're here with just us George?" "I promise. I swear on our freaky matching moles!" Feeling relief flood his body as his little sister hugged him tightly, Adam felt tears and a smile come over his face. "Nobody is going to try and bite me are they?" "Nope, I made them promise bite proof guarantee for the Giles family." Though he and Ingrid broke that repeatedly, but that was different. "Then everything is fine. Wow, this is all so weird. Vampires!" "How do you think it was for me? First I find out my father lives in the same village as we moved to, and then I find out I'm going to turn into a bat when I'm sixteen!" "Oh wow, you are so showing me that!"

Feeling weight lift off his chest now he knew his sister didn't hate him, Adam was saddened when he heard George's phone ring - their mum saying she was here. "Tell her to come up. She can see how she should have taken the news." George looked to Adam before agreeing to Ingrid's idea, answering and telling their mum to come up. There was a very hesitant knock at the door, and Renfield scuttled out of nowhere to answer it. His mum looked surprised to see them all sat quietly, calmly. "Mum, how could you say bad things about Adam? He's not a monster, and neither are Ingrid or Count Dracula!" Even without looking, he knew George's face was her usual 'attitude' expression - furrowed brow and slightly upturned mouth. "You told her?"

"Yes, he did. And I told him I don't care what he is, I know my big brother would die before he ever hurt me. And he even got them to promise never to bite us because we're Adam's family." "You just believe a family of vampires won't bite?" Erin, who had been rather quiet throughout, joined in then. "As much as I'm sure Adam would rather we didn't mention it, I think his conception proves vampires aren't mindless killers who just bite and go. Otherwise you'd be a vampire yourself, or dead. But you aren't, and Adam is terrified and you made him feel alone." Hearing a now familiar whoosh-ing sound, Adam turned towards the throne just in time to see his father lazing across it. "Did someone mention biting? Ah, the breather family."

"I'm sorry, you're all right. I didn't even think how much this must have been affecting you, I do love you Adam." Letting his mum pull him into a hug, Adam knew what was coming. "Please come home?" Shaking his head, Adam knew he couldn't. "I can't mum, but you both can visit me here any time, it's perfectly safe. George can even sleep over sometimes if she wants to. And I can come visit you, but I can't be worried you'll freak out, and I have a whole new life to learn. I love you too, by the way." "Can I stay tonight!?" George piped up quickly. "Not tonight, I don't really suppose school nights matter when we go to the same school but you have no stuff here. We'll sort it, alright munchkin?" She nodded, giving Adam another tight squeeze around the chest and picking up her bag.

"Come on mum, lets give the vampires time for breakfast. Bye everyone!" The Draculas and Erin were left staring as George physically dragged her mother away, waving happily as they left. "That girl is one strange bat." "She's my little sister, what do you expect?" Dropping back into his spot on the sofa, Adam thanked Renfield for bringing him the green drink and sipped at it. Once he got past the strangeness of the flavour, it wasn't half bad. "I wonder if she'll be so calm when she finds out she's going to be an aunt at the age of eleven. Because if George is here more often, she's going to notice I'm getting bigger, not to mention the tiny human that will appear." Sighing as he downed his drink and picked up his back to work on his school homework, Adam looked up at Erin. "One earth-shattering revelation at a time, yeah?"

-VAI-

 **I realise I completely failed to deal with the Branaghs in this chapter, but then I was more focused on the Giles.**


	11. Caught Red Handed

**Not my characters.**

 **NightOwl95 is awesome, just so you all know.**

 **That's all I have to say.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

After a week of his new life living at the castle, Adam and Ingrid were both edging towards desperation under the constant watch of everyone else. There had been stolen kisses in brief moments but the Count seemed to be everywhere he turned. Erin thought it hilarious, the only one to understand the dark looks he and Ingrid shared, twitching under the gazes of everyone around them as he studied his school and vampire books.

The news the Count was off to Transylvania for the night and following day to register Adam for his overdue blood tests was exceptionally welcome. Erin teased him mercilessly the whole day as he thrummed with anticipation. There was no pretence as the Count finally flapped away, Ingrid literally dragging his willing body to her room. "I love seeing you every day but fuck I hate not sleeping with you."

Ingrid didn't let him speak again, tugging at his clothes and biting down on his shoulder. The new family situation should have been a wake up call to them both that what they were doing was wrong, but Adam couldn't bring himself to care as Ingrid pulled him close and wrapped her legs around his waist. "I love you" was whispered between kisses as they rocked together, soft and sweet as Ingrid clung to him.

Once was never going to be enough, Ingrid straddling his hips and digging fangs and nails into his skin until they were both shuddering in climax. Curling tightly around her afterwards, Adam ignored that they would be forced apart again tomorrow. She seemed to be thinking similar things, pulling him into the shower with her in the morning and pressing their bodies together again. It felt strange to watch her lay down in her coffin for the day, pressing one last kids to her mouth before returning upstairs to find Erin eating breakfast.

"Surprised you managed to leave, you look exhausted." she was smirking over her cereal at Adam's tired face. "Ingrid needed to sleep, and George will be here in an hour. If I didn't leave now I think George might have caught us and that would be very not good." Erin nodded understandingly, pushing corn flakes at him and smiling softly.

He finally caved in to asking what she was giggling at, and she handed him her compact mirror to show he had a new, deep bruise blooming on his pale throat. "Oops. Well at least I have you for cover." that earned him a plastic skull being tossed at his face, but he knew Erin understood what he meant and leaned in to kiss her. "I love you, even if you let other girls bite you." Chuckling, Adam nuzzled at her neck. "Just one, and in fairness she is a vampire."

"And your sister." Feeling the flickers of guilt in his chest, Adam hung his head. Erin looked like she was about to say something else, but then the door knocking announced George being dropped off for the day. "Hey mum" he forced out, holding a smile on his face as George hugged him tightly. "I'll be back before dinner to get her, see you later son." His relationship with his mother was still strained as Adam had literally moved out in the middle of the night and refused to come back.

"I have food!" George bounced in, waving brightly at Erin. A faint flush crept over his cheeks as his mum looked at his neck, but she hugged him goodbye and headed off without saying anything about it. "So munchkin, have you turned my room into a secret base or something yet?" "Not yet, mum still hopes you'll come back and won't let me!" Sighing quietly, Adam joined George and Erin at the table. Erin was quiet, not talking much but he could feel her eyes on him.

"Can I read some of these books?" George was eyeing up the bookcases with interest. "Some of them, absolutely not. I'll find some mum won't lynch me for showing you, you sort the food out." Pulling some out on historical artifacts that weren't all about rampant murders, he handed them over to his little sister and sat working on his breather homework. "This is so cool! Vampires have all the fun." George sat chewing on cakes and sandwiches most of the day, at ease in a vampire castle and clearly just happy to see Adam.

It wasn't yet dark when their mum came to get her, George grumbling about vampire sleep meaning she didn't get to hang out with Ingrid. They were both surprised when Sally held out a bag, explaining it was overnight things so George could start staying over next week. "Awesome! See you Monday guys!" Taking hugs from both his mum and little sister, Adam felt the smile fall from his face as the door closed behind them.

"I'm sorry for earlier, it was unfair of me." Adam shook his head, guilt thick in his throat. "No, its fine. I mean, you're right. She is." Dropping into the sofa heavily with a book on fang hygiene, Adam tried to focus on the words. Erin sighed, shoving his legs aside to sit next to him. "I told you, I'm ok with it. It just came out, I didn't mean to sound judgemental." Adam was about to answer when Erin gasped, clutching her stomach. "What's wrong? Is it the baby?" "What baby?" Erin's eyes widened along with his as his mothers voice sounded, both turning horror struck expressions to her.

"George forgot her bag, I came to get it. What baby?" His mum was looking between them in horror before fixing her eyes on the curve of Erin's bump. "Erin's baby. Or rather, mine and Erin's baby." Tired lying and pulsing with relief his mum had not appeared to have overheard the conversation before, Adam gave up the truth for once. "What? Adam, you're only children yourself! How did this... No, I know the how, but how could this happen?"

"We were careful but apparently that isn't always enough. What do you want me to say mum?" Erin was still clutching her stomach but didn't appear to be in pain, so Adam placed a hand over here and felt a solid luck. "Active today are you?" he couldn't help saying. "I want an explanation as to how you could be so stupid!" "Correct me if I'm wrong, but Adam was the result of a one off, at least it's his girlfriend that he for pregnant." Ingrid was a wake then.

"I was eighteen, not fourteen when it happened! And that isn't the point? What else are you hiding?" There was a brief pointed look from both girls, but they all knew that wasn't coming up in conversation. "Nothing mum. But this is why I didn't tell you, I knew you would freak." And he didn't want her knowing he and Erin had been having sex for months, but still. "I just... How long?" "Has she been pregnant? She's almost five months along now." "You haven't been dating that long!"

"I am very aware of that mum." Adam knew he should not be acting so blase about it all but he couldn't help it, he was so tired of secrets. "I've changed my mind. George is not staying here, in fact she's not even visiting any more. I cannot have her around all this, its too much!" He couldn't even find words to argue, the sheer disappointment in her face like a knife in his chest as she rescinded even George visiting now.

"Fine. Guess I just keep proving you right mum. You should go, its getting dark. Might not be safe." Sally literally ran out of the castle, barely stopping to pick up George's things as she left. The door closing opened the flood gate's and Adam couldn't help crying, feeling Ingrid and Erin holding him as he sobbed. "George is going to hate me." voice hollow, Adam pulled away from both girls, scrubbing at his face and heading out into the evening air.

"Adam Giles where do you think you're going?" Ingrid's voice followed him but Adam just ran, ignoring the protesting of his legs as the jeans he had on were not ideal running gear. He had lost track of time or distance by the time his path was blocked by Ingrid. "Damn vampire speed. Leave me alone!" Adam wasn't sure he had ever actively pushed Ingrid away before, and there was a flash of hurt in her face before it was gone. "Like hell, you are not leaving your pregnant girlfriend as my problem."

He tried to push away but Ingrid grabbed his arm, flitting them back to the castle in seconds. "Vamp up Adam, she was going to find out eventually. You may want to ease up on the relevations, you're running short on ones that don't involve you and I now." Shivering at the idea of them being found out, Adam nodded. Ingrid shoved him through the door, Erin and the leftover food George brought gone. "She's with Ryan, running out on a pregnant girl is not your smartest move." A fresh wave of sadness hit him as he saw the overnight bag for George on the floor. He just kept fucking up, losing things as he tried and failed to balance his life.

-VAI-

 **Typed this up on my phone, like help am I doing this again it took forever!**

 **However, enjoy?**


	12. Childrens Logic

**Not my characters.**

 **I said I wouldn't do it again but I'm typing on my phone again. So if there are unusual amounts of spelling mistakes then it's because I am still figuring out the mind of its own autocorrect. Apologies!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Erin stayed with Ryan the rest of the night, and Adam couldn't sleep at all between being alone in bed and feeling lost and guilty. Eventually giving up, he shrugged on his pyjama t-shirt and shorts and padded down the tower steps. The Count was back, Ingrid glaring at him and he looked a little guilty himself. "Ah Adam my boy! Awake at night I see? Good, good." Sensing tension in the room, Adam looked to Ingrid. "Right, what have I missed?"

He didn't believe the vehement denial from the Count for a second. "Count Idiot here managed to announce you were the Chosen One in the middle of a VHC office. They've been convinced to hold off while you do your tests, but you are expected to be here while dad throws a party to show you on Halloween." "What? How could you be so stupid?" Aside from not wanting a repeat of Ingrid's birthday when there was a fight between vampires and slayers, Adam didn't really want to be risking so much around Erin's due date.

"It was an accident! They were complaining about illegitimate heirs and I might of... Lost my temper and blurted it out. I managed to convince them to hold off, no easy feat I assure you!" "Better get used to answering to Vladimir Dracula Adam." Exhausted and frustrated, Adam growled angrily at the Count. "Did it not occur to you Erin is due by Halloween? And you've set up a damn party?" "Half breed has a point dad." "Well oddly enough I chose not to divulge that you had impregnated a slayer human girl. They would have wanted an explanation as to how it was possible before your transformation, and they would have condemned you to eternal punishment and executed your pet girlfriend."

"Adam, try to relax. We have time to figure this out, its only just July." Ingrid's voice was calmer than it had any right to be, but he let it wrap around his tired mind the way she would his body if they were alone. "So when are my tests?" "Because of your unique status, you will only have to take one rather than all three at once, though it will encompass the same subject matter as all three. September 30th, which will then leave us with a month to prepare for your official 'display' party."

So just under three months to cram in fifteen years vampire knowledge, then a month after that to work out how to protect Erin. All whilst juggling George's birthday, school and impending fatherhood. With half his family missing. All in all, Adam wasn't too surprised to find from Ingrid that he fainted. When the blackness receded from his vision, he found himself in his tower bedroom with Ingrid watching him. "Why does my head hurt?" "You passed out, I imagine you hit it on the floor as dad managed to catch your legs instead of your head." "Prince of Darkness, no hand eye coordination?"

"He's an idiot, its a wonder either of us turned out with any brains." Wriggling closer, Adam rested his head against her leg and felt her stroke his hair gently. "What am I going to do? Erin can't be here when the vampires turn up, but she will be about to drop if she hasn't by then." Ingrid hummed in thought, absent mindedly scratching his neck gently and making him shiver in spite of himself. "Behave, this is not the time." Grumbling slightly, Adam glared up at her. "You're the one touching me, you behave!"

"This may be an ironic statement, but you two really do argue like siblings." Lost in concern, Adam hadn't heard Erin scaling the steps. "I'm sorry for running out earlier, I'm not abandoning you or the baby no matter what." Erin nodded, sleepily laying against his stomach. "What was all the noise about? I heard fighting and lightning, and I can see the worry on your face. What's going on?" Exceptionally perceptive, Erin looked between them expectantly. After a minute of unintelligible sounds from Adam, Ingrid sighed and explained.

"Ah. Well Ingrid is right, we have time to think about it. Come on, sleep. You look like shit, no offence." "None taken, if I look half as panicked as I feel then I probably look pretty awful." Ingrid pressed a kiss to his lips before moving away, telling him to sleep or she would stake him. Erin chuckled sleepily as she and Adam curled up together, drifting off in his arms but Adam still couldn't sleep. His child was at risk, and it was Adam's fault for existing in the first place that everything was happening.

Erin gave him a sad look as they woke up, and Adam realised they had to get up and function normally for the day now. He felt a little more alert after a shower, letting Erin push food in front of him as he buried himself in piles of books. Less than three months to learn everything he could, it was not a promising thought. "Has he said anything?" "Not a word all day." Hearing Ingrid and Erin talking, Adam finally looked up. "I have three months to learn fifteen years of vampire facts, I would have thought my studious nature was a good thing." "It is but you don't normally sit in silence for eight hours at a time." Checking his watch, Adam realised Erin was right. Stretching, he could feel the aches of sitting dead still for so long and stood up to walk his numb legs out.

"Sorry. I'm just... I don't even know, every time I think I'm working out how to juggle my life something else happens. I'm fifteen, this is not a promising start to immortality." "Being immortal is fun! If its not then you're doing it wrong." Sighing, Adam greeted his father. "I'm sure it is but I'm not immortal yet, I'm a half breed with anxiety." Looking at the pile of books he had studied through the day, Adam gave up on cramming anything else in to his brain that day. "School tomorrow. What am I going to say to George?" "Can we not drop the breather school pretense yet?" Growling angrily at his father again, Adam shook his head.

"As of now it is the only way for me to see George." "I thought the funny little breather visits you here?" The pulse of sadness in his chest returned then. "My mum overheard us talking about the baby and didn't take it well. Said she couldn't have George around 'all this'. I screwed up again, its a wonder I haven't had more attempts on my life by this point." Trying to straighten out his buzzing mind, Adam paced anxiously around the room. "Dracula for sure, bit of a drama queen." "You realise that statement includes you Ingrid?" Ingrid thought back over her words, then simply shrugged and went back to her "Fang" magazine and blood.

"I am the Prince of Darkness! I am not a drama queen!" "If you say so daddy dearest." The back and forth bickering was broken by dinner, which Adam are mechanically under the watchful gaze of Erin and mildly threatening glare of Ingrid. "Playing truant sounds rather appealing but I want to see George, so I'm going to bed." Erin said she would be up soon, sufficiently distracting the Count by asking for a chess lesson so Ingrid could follow him up.

The stress of everything fell away as Ingrid sank her nails into his back, her cool pale body wrapping tightly around his. Letting himself get a little lost, Adam trembled in painful pleasure when Ingrid bit down on his shoulder as she came beneath him. They hurried to shower off so Ingrid wouldn't reek of sex and him when she left the tower, and Adam lay across his bed in boxers waiting for Erin. "Better?" he nodded, kissing her softly and cradling her stomach gently. "I love you. And the baby. I know I'm all over the place lately, but that's still absolute fact." "I love you too, and I'm sure this tiny terror would day the same. If growing babies could talk in utero."

He managed a couple of hours sleep, splintered by nightmares but tempered by the twinges in his back and Erin's warm, comforting presence in his arms. Crawling out of bed to do his paper round, Adam made himself drop the bag of George's things by his mums car on his route. Erin was just waking as he got back, Ingrid staying awake after daylight to kiss him good-day before she went to her coffin. Erin squeezed his hand tightly as they walked, joking it was lucky her uniform still hid most of her body well and there was only a few weeks of school left before the summer holidays.

"Means I have to go back alone next year though. Maybe I should have stayed with Robin, he's in my year at least." Erin giggled, swatting his arm as they walked in to school together. He had forgotten the bruise Ingrid left on his neck until there were wolf whistles aimed at he and Erin. George didn't immediately stare at Erin's stomach when she caught up with them, so Adam presumed their mother hadn't dropped that bombshell just yet.

George predictably leapt to hug Adam, the Branaghs behind her watching. Adam realised they had very little idea at all what was going on, and Robin had been quiet and distant, spending his time with his girlfriend. "Now what's happened ghost boy? Mum was not happy!" "Its hard to explain munchkin, we'll talk about it later ok?" George wasn't happy but nodded, heading off to class with Chloe while he and Erin headed to their own class. "What are you going to tell her?" "You know George, if I try to lie she will figure it out." Erin nodded, falling silent for class. George sought then out at lunch, informing them she had spoken to Sally and George had decided they were coming back with her to explain.

There was little room for argument, so Adam and Erin warily joined the group walking back, the route a little alien now after walking to and from the castle together. George grabbed Adam's arm, telling Chloe there was family stuff to sort out and she would see her later. Finding himself dragged into what was no longer his home, Adam felt more than a little out of place under his mums gaze. "Right, you all know I'm not stupid so don't think I don't know something is going on. What is it?"

Sharing a look with Erin, he got a nod and turned back to his little sister. "Erin's pregnant. By me." Even hearing the vampire revelation had not widened George's eyes so fast, which dropped to Erin's stomach. "What? You're only just fifteen!" Adam dropped his eyes, nodding. "I know. But its happened. And I have to take responsibility for that." His mum was just shaking her head, that same painful disappointment written across her face. "Mum, I understand why you're upset, and I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say, feeling Erin's warm fingers lace through his.

"How far along is she?" George was looking closer at Erin now, clearly looking for a sign. "About five months." "So the part vampire baby is due around Halloween? There's a fun coincidence." He felt Erin grasp his hand tighter then, turning to see her clutch her stomach again. "What's wrong?" "Just active, that's all." The people watching disappeared as he pressed his hand to her bump, smiling as he felt the baby wriggle and kick. "Can I... can I feel?" Turning in surprise to George, Adam shrugged. "Not up to me. Erin?" There was a moments hesitation, but Erin pulled her jumper and shirt up to reveal the hidden swell there. "Here. That's where they usually kick."

George's little tanned hand looked odd against Erin's pale skin, but she giggled happily when the baby kicked her hand. "Oh wow, that is weird!" Adam couldn't resist teaching out to feel the baby again, still smiling like he did every time. "I don't see why this means I can't see Adam. Its not like he's going to do the same to me, I'm his sister!" That was a firm knot of guilt hitting him in the stomach. "Adam, what's wrong?" Shaking his head to clear it, Adam tried to think on his feet. "There's just, other stuff to worry about. Vampire stuff."

George clearly decided they weren't leaving yet, tugging Erin to sit down 'and rest'. "What stuff? Those tests?" "No. My father managed to somehow plan a vampire party for Halloween, and I'm worried about Erin." "Why?" Sighing, Adam sat down by the table. "Vampire and human babies aren't meant to happen, and according to Ingrid pregnant humans have a distinct scent. Plus the baby being due then, we aren't sure what to do to keep Erin safe." His mum was still silent, watching the exchange with an unreadable expression.

"Mum, we can look after Erin for one night surely?" Three heads turned to George then, surprise evident on all of the faces. "What? Its not a sparkling measure of Adam's character, I agree. But that baby is part of the family, what are we going to do? Put it at risk because you're mad at Adam?" Adam didn't dare hope, not wanting to feel relief only to have it crushed. Erin looked confused, his mum still looking a bit lost in it all. "Alright. I suppose I'm going to have to deal with it at some point. Congratulations by the day Erin, you look amazing for five months along." Erin mumbled awkward thanks, resting a hand over her stomach protectively.

"Seriously? You would do that for me mum?" Against his will, hope was starting to edge in. "Yes. Can I talk to you Adam? Alone? George, get Erin a drink would you?" George leapt up, and Adam followed his mum reluctantly. His old room still looked empty and sad as the door closed. "How could you do this Adam? You're only children yourselves." "As much as I want to never have this conversation, we did use protection. And I've only known the last couple of months myself, but I didn't want to disappoint you. Guess its a bit late for that." They stood staring silently for a few minutes, not looking at each other.

"I better get going, tests to study for." "Does Erin live at the castle with you?" Biting back a sign, Adam nodded. "Her family are slayers, she could hardly stay with them carrying my child." His mums eyes widened, but Adam knew basic protective instinct for babies was warring with her disappointment, and disapproval at Adam and Erin having easy access to each other. "I know I've disappointed you, and I'm sorry. I would like you to be part of the baby's life but I don't expect you to. We'll work out Halloween later. Bye mum."

Luckily Erin was ready to go when he returned, extracting sworn secrecy from George as he hugged her goodbye. "Well, that could have gone worse?" "I guess, but my mother is never going to forgive me for this. Still, having a plan in place for Halloween is a good start. Come on, its almost dinner time and junior there likes regular mealtimes." Erin nodded, following Adam into the castle and dropping in to a seat. "Have you been thinking of names?" Adam shook his head. "Not really, we don't know if junior is a boy or girl and we could pick a dozen names, and none suit them when it comes to being born."

"I did offer you the baby names book for modern vampires!" "And I told you, for the tenth time I am not naming the baby Genghis dad!" Adam barely realised what he had said for a moment, the word dad having barely passed his lips for over a year now. "Suit yourself, its a good strong name!" Sighing, Adam settles down to eat dinner over his English essay and a book on correct fang entry angles. "One day you'll mix the two up and the teacher will think its Robin's homework!" Erin had perked up, which Adam expected was down to the fact she had eaten and the baby had settled down. "I'm sure Miss Jones will love an essay on suitable ways to bottle blood for aging." Adam replied sarcastically, but he did check his school work wasn't vampire themed with a scowl.

-VAI-

 **Hopefully this isn't as messy as the last chapter as I learn my new phone better.**


	13. Schools Out

**Not my characters.**

 **Managed to update Chosen Two and No Place Like Home, so we are back here again!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

By the time the school year ended towards the end of July, the only contact Adam had with George outside of seeing her at school was phone calls they occasionally exchanged and he hated it. He hadn't yet spoken to his mother again, and with George's birthday coming up he was feeling adrift. To credit his mum and sister, there was no sign of the knowledge he was half vampire or that Erin was pregnant had gone further than them. Shrugging out of his uniform for the last time until September - if he decided to go back - and pulling on a t-shirt and shorts in light of the warm weather, he felt mentally exhausted.

Erin gleefully tossed her uniform out (and they all pretended not to notice Renfield taking it for the sake of sanity), now having no need to conceal her nearing six months pregnant stomach. "I'm free!" Erin stretched out on their bed in her underwear, looking at her changing body. "Not long now is it?" Adam nodded, reclining next to her so he could stroke a hand over the fluttering, growing child. "Nope, and its getting very real." "I should hope so, I would prefer you weren't in denial when a tiny hybrid baby comes into the world." Chuckling, Adam nodded. "Ahhh!" sounded from the doorway, and Adam looked up to see Ryan looking away. "Sorry! Haven't got dressed since I ditched that ghastly uniform. Two minutes Ryan."

Watching with a cheeky pout as Erin dressed, Adam grinned as Ryan peered tentatively around the door. "I heard voices, I thought it was safe. Turns out I'm now scarred for life." "Its not like we were naked and dancing around!" Ryan looked a little green at the idea, watching Adam close the window shutters so Ryan wouldn't explode all over the place as he ventured further into the room. "You're up early, even though it's a later sundown this time of year." "Yeah, I hit my coffin early to avoid the Count trying to convince me to bite live cats." Grimacing in sync with Erin, Adam shuddered. "Gross. I better hit the books, only two months to go til my tests now."

Erin sighed as Adam left, but he heard her chatting to Ryan as he padded down the tower steps. His study books were a constant fixture on the table by now, and he ignored the fact Renfield had Erin's now retired school skirt on over his trousers as he took a drink from the man and resumed his studying. "Ah, master Adam. How was your day of breather school?" Zoltan talking no longer made him jump, and the stuffed wolf was a surprisingly adequate study buddy. "Ok thanks, not much to do when we are finishing for the summer." Chatting in depth about transformation timing until dinner - later to accommodate the later sundown of summer for the vampires - Adam felt like some of the knowledge was finally sinking in as everyone else joined him in the room.

"Studying hard I hope Vladimir?" the Count had taken to calling him that most of the time, though Adam wished he would at least shorten it to Vlad. "Yes father, I only have a couple of months til my tests." His words were polite but there were stifled giggles around the table as Adam rolled his eyes when he spoke. If he wasn't eating, sleeping or at school, minus his paper round Adam was studying. Aside from when Ingrid managed to distract him - Erin mostly waited until they were going to bed anyway. The Count was also insisting Adam practice chess more, to learn better logical thinking. Granted, Robin couldn't set fire to things, but he had tried to teach Adam and the Count was little more successful in raising Adam's skill much.

The Count resumed staring at the TV he had become addicted to (though he denied it steadfastly), and Erin winked and dragged Ryan off to leave he and Ingrid alone. Predictably, she dragged him to her room and pinned his body with hers, kissing him roughly and stripping his clothes. The hot weather made Ingrid's cold skin feel even more intense as they sought more points of contact, reveling in Ingrid's sounds of pleasure and the whimper of "I love you" against his neck as she trembled against him. "I love you too" was mumbled as he curled around her, knowing they couldn't risk falling asleep but craving another minute of holding her close. Ingrid was more practical, all but throwing him in the shower and leaving his clothes on her bed.

Erin informed him Ingrid has flown past the tower window, so Adam assumed she had gone out hunting and dried his hair, ignoring Erin giggling as she often did about him spending so much time taming the mess of his hair. "I'm still amused the fearsome Count Dracula is a TV addicted couch potato. This castle is one strange place." Lounging across the bed and fiddling with his phone, Adam agreed. "My life has become a strange place. A year ago I would not have believed anything like this could happen, let alone would happen to me. I'm a vampire, a special vampire, about to become a father and my mother won't speak to me." The other strange things about his life couldn't be mentioned in front of Ryan, who was at least trying to cohabitate with Adam by now as he sat on the chair next to his bed, watching the TV Adam had in here.

"If it helps, at least your mother wouldn't stake you or Erin's baby." Ryan did have a point there. "I'm sorry my dad turned you Ryan." The boy shrugged, looking at Erin. "Means I can look out for Erin, and what's done is done. And you stopped him actually killing me." "It was my fault anybody was here that night in the first place. The humans and slayers anyway, I didn't stake the previous Grand High Vampire." "No, it wasn't." Adam and Erin both looked at Ryan then, surprised. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not thrilled you knocked up my sister, especially with your freaky genetics. But you didn't ask to be born, you didn't ask the slayers guild to send Erin to find you out, and you clearly didn't expect to be the chosen one, or a father at fifteen. And you've done everything you can to take care of her when you wouldn't have been out of place being angry. So, it could be worse."

"Uh, thanks I guess." Adam didn't really know what to say to Ryan for that, so he offered thanks and tried to process. Erin actually teared up and hugged her brother, though she blamed the hormones for her tears. "I can smell breather emotions half a mile off, what is going on up here?" Ingrid dropped in through the window, and Adam felt like an episode of a sitcom as she shoved him along the bed, sharing a bottle of blood with Ryan and leaving him trapped between her and Erin. Ryan cast an eye over Ingrid almost sitting in his lap, but given there was limited space to sit in his room, Adam hoped it looked as normal as possible.

The newly finished school year meant they didn't technically need to sleep early now, but Adam eventually brought up he had his paper round and the two vampires left them to sleep. Feeling years well as he realised he had lost the only way to see George with any certainty for at least six weeks, Adam felt Erin hug him tightly as he cried himself to sleep. The alarm dragging him out of bed for his round was almost welcome, sleep fitful and in no way restful. Erin kissed him gently as he left her in bed, saying she would see him downstairs later. He knew she needed more sleep the further along she got, letting her fall back to sleep as he headed out. He did wonder who had to make the trip to deliver his papers as he picked them up outside the castle driveway.

It was already light out by the time he was done, showering off the sweat quickly and half wishing he didn't have bruises, scratches and even scars from Ingrid on his back and shoulder to hide as he pulled on a clean t-shirt. The weather was hot but thankfully the drafty castle stayed fairly cool, but Adam still spent a great deal of his time in his tower room shirtless. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed by the marks on his skin anymore, but the fang marks on his shoulder were too distinctive to be seen by more than Ingrid or Erin. Especially when Ingrid was fond of re-piercing his skin and the scars were currently re-healing again.

Eating some kind of chewy liquid breakfast that tasted a bit like chicken, Adam went back to his books. Reading, re-reading and then reading them again, Adam wasn't sure he would feel entirely prepared for his tests either way but knew he had to do it regardless. Erin joined him later, pulling him away to walk around outside to stretch his legs. They couldn't go far, Erin's swelling stomach obvious out of the baggy school uniform now but the castle being a little remote gave them half an hours slow strolling, and he did feel admittedly better for a mental break. The information took a little better after lunch, even if ketchup sandwiches were not exactly fine dining.

Still tired, Adam let Erin pull him back to bed and carefully strip his clothes away, kissing over his marred skin and they came together slowly, rocking hips and gentle sighs of pleasure. A brief nap and shower later, Adam felt infinitely better and smiled softly as he kissed Erin in thanks. "Better?" "Much, thank you." Erin smiled back brightly, wrapping her arms around his waist and nuzzling into his chest. "No slacking now, back to the books until dinner." Grumbling for show, Adam settled back behind his tower of reading material and didn't resurface until the vampires rose for the evening. "Ah Vlad my boy" well Vlad was an improvement on Vladimir "still hard at work I see."

Not bothering to say he had taken breaks for sex, sleep and strolling, Adam nodded and decided he had read enough today - it would do him no good to totally burn out. August crept up on him and Adam made time to text George every day, even though her complaints about not being allowed to see him made him feel worse. He still went out to buy George a birthday present, bidding Erin to stay at home so he could cycle rather than have her walk all the way there and back with him. He meandered through the baby section of a store, sighing to himself at the fact this would be the sort of thing he needed to learn about and buy. He did pick up a couple of newborn romper suits in green and yellow up, smiling dumbly when the shop lady asked if he was expecting a new sibling or niece or nephew.

He tossed the bag containing them in the bottom of the wardrobe, resolving to sort out all of that later on and learn properly what to do. The photos Adam had framed from the ones saved on his laptop ached to look at, piling them in a gift bag with the book and bracelet of runes he got her and hiding them too. Erin followed him up to the tower by then, seeing him looking sad instantly. "George?" was all she had to ask, getting a nod and pulling him into the bed to cuddle him close. The baby obviously felt ignored, kicking against Adam's face where it was resting against Erin. "Alright alright, you can have some attention too little one." Erin chuckled as Adam pulled out of his vampire books, reading softly to her bump about vampire powers. "They like your voice, I might start getting you to sing lullabies when they won't go to sleep."

"You are under strict orders not to ever let anyone know that I sing, and that includes the baby." Adam argued, still wishing Erin hadn't caught him singing along to music in their room and declaring she loved the sound of his voice. He didn't deny his singing voice wasn't terrible, but he didn't want anyone asking him to demonstrate - he only did it when he was relaxed and being under attention was not relaxing for him. "Isn't that your phone ringing?" Listening, Adam moved to look where it was charging. George texted him, and now he lived with Ingrid and Erin nobody else actually contacted him via his phone. "Its my mum. Not a word in over a week, what's this about?" "You won't find out if you don't answer it?" Sighing, Adam picked up the phone and hit answer. "Hello?"

-VAI-

 **This took far longer to write than it should have, but words would not appear on the page for me. Any who, enjoy!**


	14. Baby Steps

**Not my characters.**

 **Still on my phone so advance apologies for messy editing/spelling!**

 **And I spent the last two says writing an epilogue for Adams side of Arrogant, which is why its taken three says to get this update started.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Erin was watching closely as Adam heard his mother ask if she and George could come to the castle. "Of course, unless there are vampire visitors I told you you two are always safe here." "Alright, we'll bring food. I'll see you in an hour." Adam hung up before he could start crying, dropping his phone and sitting heavily on the bed. "So are they coming over?" Adam nodded, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. "In an hour. They are bringing food apparently, makes me wonder what George has said about the food here." Erin giggled as she wrapped an arm around him, nuzzling his shoulder.

"Probably that she half expects it to crawl out of the bowl. Because I do, but the baby seems happy and healthy enough to kick and roll all the time." Apparently psychic, the baby kicked him in the back, as though Erin mentioning it was the trigger. "Yeah, I wonder if I was just a scrawny baby or its a dimidius thing. Because I've seen baby photos of me, I probably couldn't have kicked that hard." Erin pulled him around, kissing him. "You got here, thats what counts. And we can know it's not life threatening if they come out pale and skinny. Not that that's changed much." She poked him in the side, surprising a laugh from him. He turned to retaliate, tickling her sides until she was in fits.

"You're evil!" Kissing her, Adam smirked. "I'm a Dracula." He would happily have lost himself in kissing her more but she pushed him off, pointing out he would see George soon. "Fine. You coming down or resting?" Erin sat up on the bed and he automatically put a hand on her back to support her, helping her up. "You said there would be food, of course I'm coming down." They headed down, Erin stretching out comfortably on the little sofa while he tidied his scattered books into neat piles. "Master Adam Vlad sir? Do you need help?" "Oh, no thank you Renfield, I got it. Could you make drinks? Breather friendly, not vampire drinks." "At once young master!" Shaking his head at the strange servant, Adam checked his watch.

"Want to go sit in the sun until they get here?" Erin nodded, letting him help her out to the driveway. They had found a few old chairs in one of the storage rooms/cupboards - Adam and Ingrid had probably had sex in all of them by now - and dumped a couple behind the wall so Erin and Adam could sit outside when the grass was wet. Linking hands between their chairs, Adam smiled as Erin stretched in the sunlight and her shirt rode up to show her stomach. "Do I have something on my shirt?" "No. I just like looking at you." Her cheeks flushed pink, her shy smile making his heart skip. They sat quietly after that, his anxiety slowly climbing as time ticked away.

The car was audible before it was visible, and Adam was reaching the end of his tolerance for sun on his uncovered skin as the car pulled into the driveway. He stood to help Erin up, and George was a blur throwing herself at Adam in seconds. "Ghost face!" "Hey munchkin, I missed you." Returning her hug, though not quite as tightly as she was squeezing his middle, Adam smiled at his little sister. "Adam?" "Hey mum." They were still strained, but she offered a hug and he took it. "I brought some things for you, well for you and Erin." Feeling a little confused, Adam helped her pull a couple of big boxes out of the car and pull them into the castle. Erin followed, George carrying food and chattering a mile a minute to his girlfriend.

The boxes were placed on the table, and Adam felt awkward waiting for his mum to speak. "Oh for heavens sake, you two are terrible. We found all the old baby stuff boxed up in storage, and we figured you would need it soon." George pulled open one of the boxes, holding up a pile of neatly folded baby clothes. She and Erin cooed and laughed over the tiny onesies, and laughed at the fact some of it used to fit Adam. "This is great, thank you mum." "Lets hope your DIY skills haven't faded entirely, because damned if we remember how this crib goes together." George pointed at one of the other boxes. "Language George!" His little sister stuck her tongue out, uncaring of their mother scolding her.

They sat down, but while George chatted enough for herself and Erin, Adam and his mum sat in near silence, chewing on a sandwich and smiling at Erin flicking cupcake icing in retaliation when George tossed a bat biscuit at her. "Look what the bat dragged in." "Evening Ingrid." He knew Ingrid disliked his mother for blowing hot and cold with Adam so much, and she was far too stubborn to listen to him telling her to be nice. Plus she wasn't the world's biggest fan of breathers anyway, but George could win over anyone within a few minutes and Adam was an exception to almost every rule in general.

"Bat biscuit Ingrid?" If he didn't know better, Adam would think George didn't know Ingrid could tear out her throat in seconds as she offered the vampire a biscuit. Ingrid took it with an amused smirk, though Adam caught her feeding it to Zoltan rather than eat it. "Dad should be up soon, I hope you haven't slacked off your reading all day?" Smiling guiltily, Adam asked Ingrid to help move the boxes of baby stuff to his room. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Erin's knowing grin masked behind her drink. Sure enough, once the boxes were down Ingrid's body was against his, kissing him and slipping a hand down his shorts. Ingrid's smirk was evil as he tried to protest quietly, giving up on being able to make sounds and biting his lip as Ingrid knelt down and pulled his shorts off as she went.

It was all of a minute after he came, shaking legs holding him up and Ingrid smiling maliciously that he heard George clambering up the stairs. Fumbling to straighten his clothes, Adam tried to look sad rather than post coital as his little sister entered the room his older sister had just blown him in. "Where did you two get off to? You've been gone ages! Well, it was just over ten minutes but still!" "We were just talking, Ingrid says I'm too human to bottle stuff up and makes me talk. Did you leave Erin alone with mum?" "Well, your dads awake too?" "Recipe for disaster, lets get going." Both Giles nodded at Ingrid, hurrying down the steps. "Of course a Dracula should be spawning heirs. Granted not with slayer girls, but with his future status nobody will have to know that!"

"Can we not use words like spawn? We aren't frogs!" Both his parents turned to him as they entered the room, Erin looking a mix of resigned and concerned. "What started this?" "Your mum asked the Count what he thought of you being a father soon." Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Adam sighed. "Does it matter? Its happening, and it seems me and Erin are the most relaxed about it." Ingrid brushed a hand over his back as she walked past him, and he dropped into a seat next to Erin. "I appreciate the baby stuff, and I would love more than anything to have you and George in my life, and the babies life." "I hear a but coming."

"But you need to accept this has happened, is happening and that this is my life now." In spite of two vampires, two humans, an ex slayer and Adam in the room, the silence was deafening for a moment. "I don't know that I can. You hid so much for so long, I don't know what's coming next." Given he had been with Ingrid only moments before, that made Adam feel a little... Not guilty, he didn't feel guilt for loving Ingrid, but it was still a secret, and to most people possibly his worst one. "Given the way you've reacted, I don't blame him mum. When he tried to be honest, you called him a monster. When he said he would leave if you thought that you didn't stop him. And then when you found out about the baby, you told him he couldn't see me anymore. If you push someone to feel alone, its going to make a difference."

They were all looking a little surprised at George then, though Adam blamed Chloe and her psychology obsession. "I mean, I think he could have made better choices than getting a girl pregnant at fourteen, but I don't want to lose my big brother because you're mad at him." As if to drive her point home, George sat next to Adam and looked prepared to stay right there. "Thanks... I think." She smiled winningly at him, bright and at ease unlike everyone else... Except maybe the Count. "Ok. Come to George's birthday party, we can talk then? I need time to I don't know, process it all first." "That's almost three weeks away, why do I have to wait until then to see him?" Pulling his little sister into a hug, Adam tried to soothe her. "Behave, if mum needs time then she can have it. And I'm only a phone call away if you need me munchkin."

"You're my big brother, I'll always need you you egg." "You've been spending too much time around Robin!" His sister giggled, no longer complaining when their mum said it was time to go. A last hug goodbye to he and Erin and George was trotting out of the castle obediently. "Stop looking so gloomy, although it is more vampiric than your happy grins." Adam tried to laugh at his father, he did. "It sounds bad, but I honestly just want my mum to make her mind up. This back and forth is driving me bats." "Well either way, you can go to her birthday and you want that. Not sure I can go with you though." Turning to Erin, Adam wasn't happy to hear that. "Why?" "I'm already showing, I'm hardly going to get smaller by then am I?" Sighing in resignation, he nodded.

"I know. I just don't relish facing the Branaghs and my mum alone. Still, its the last time I can be out in the day for her birthday, I'm not missing it." Erin yawned next to him, a sound he found quite cute as it was soft and kitten like. "Go on up, I need to actually study today but I'll be along in an hour or so." She kissed him goodnight, predictably stealing leftover cake - it was a wonder their bed wasn't full of crumbs - and heading up to bed. Adam went in search of coffee, settling quietly behind his books and smirking to himself as the Count slid back into the clutches of his TV addiction. "Where's Ryan?" "Out flying, his powers were a little slow but now he's out until almost dawn flying and trying to find wild sheep. Since dads sheep habit made the papers. Twice." "They'll never prove it was me!" "Shut up and watch your breather box coffin breath!"

The Count turned up the TV in retaliation, which was lucky as Ingrid's hand suddenly squeezing his groin made Adam release a sound of surprise. "Are you mad?" Her smirk still made him twitch, arousal sparking as she tugged his zipper down. "Stop me if you like." Not trusting his voice as Ingrid's hand wrapped around him, Adam tried to focus on his books and not on thrusting into her cool grip. Ingrid didn't let up, smirking as he bit his lip hard to suppress whimpers and whines until he came over her hand. Trying not to shake in a mix of terror and pleasure, Adam hurried to fasten his trousers back up, not looking at Ingrid though he could see her smirk from the corner of his eye as he looked at the book. "You're evil." "Goes with the fangs."

She bared her fangs at him, then flitted off leaving him tingling slightly and completely unable to focus on his reading. Downing his now cold coffee, Adam closed his book and headed up to bed. "Ingrid?" Looking down, Adam realised his jeans were now stained. "Yeah, because risking us getting caught when I'm studying for blood tests is all fun and games." Kicking them off into the laundry pile, he tugged off his t-shirt and clambered into bed. "You could have stopped her if you wanted to." "That is not the point." Erin giggled, curling up on his chest and lulling him to sleep with her rhythmic breathing.

He woke early, knocking out his paper round and getting a thorough lesson from Ingrid on how close they had to be to shut the lid of her coffin over them. The answer was very, but as they were naked Adam didn't have reason to complain. Ingrid's murmur of 'I love you' was the spark pushing him over the edge, clinging tightly to each other as they shook. "I love you too" was whispered against her mouth as he kissed her 'good day', stealing out of her coffin and showering before he headed back up to the castle ground level for the day.

Erin smiled sleepily at him over breakfast, and they spent the morning going through the boxes of baby stuff. The crib was relatively easy to set up, and in decent shape given it was George's a decade ago now. "Good job some of this was yours, we have boy and girl stuff." That reminded Adam, who pulled out the bag from his wardrobe. Erin looked in it, smiling brightly at the new romper suits. "Green and yellow?" "Gender neutral. I wanted to show I really just want our baby to be healthy, no Dracula gender bias here." That won him a deep kiss and getting dragged back to bed, though he didn't mind so much really. Erin gasped and arched into his kisses, sounds of pleasure and appreciation echoing as he touched her.

The swell of her stomach still fascinated him, his child growing inside her. Pressing a kiss to the bump, Adam moved to kiss her properly, rolling their bodies to accommodate her bump easier as they moved against each other. "You've got to be the sweetest vampire ever." Feeling his cheeks flush, Adam smiled and got up to dress - he had essentially skipped studying altogether yesterday - and Erin nestled back into bed. "Lets face it, there's not much competition."

-VAI-

 **Finally got this finished, took me most of a day for whatever reason. Hopefully its not terrible.**


	15. Practicing Liars

**Not my characters.**

 **So its getting closer to baby time, but there's stuff to go before that of course! For now - Georges birthday!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

He and George still texted, but Adam painfully refused when George said she could just go to the castle, not wanting trouble. "I want mum to trust me again, lying won't help that." George eventually agreed, and so rising on the morning of her birthday to do his paper round, Adam sighed and stressed as he showered. Erin noticed his mood, kissing him softly and speaking gently to him until he had to leave. George's gifts went in his backpack, and Adam climbed onto his bicycle to pedal down to his mums house. His anxiety was high as he got closer, knowing the Branaghs had little idea of the family discord. Climbing off his bike and chaining it to the support beam of the front awning, he felt lost as he knocked.

George leapt happily on him, smiling brightly. "How come Erin isn't here?" Adam looked around, miming a large stomach when he was sure nobody was looking. George winked knowingly, pulling him out to the back garden and laughing as he topped up his sunscreen for the outside summer party. The Branaghs greeted him politely, though it was clearly with confusion. Dropping George's gifts onto the obvious pile of wrapped things, Adam found himself with a lap full of George and a face full of her wild hair. "You're getting too big for this munchkin." "Only because you're short and skinny ghost boy." "Not my fault you're growing like a weed!"

She left him with a smile as she went to interact with other people, and Adam had never felt so out of place with people. The sun prickled on the back of his neck, and Robin's girlfriend eyed him suspiciously as though it weren't clear he was there for his sister. His mum appeared on the seat opposite him, pushing food and drink at him. "You are still a bit skinny, don't they feed you up there?" Adam shrugged, picking at the food. "They do, but according to Erin I have a bad habit of not eating when I'm anxious. Hard to want to eat when you feel like there's a knot in your chest." He realised he was being a little too candid when he saw the pained look on her face.

"I really haven't been there for you, have I?" "Its fine, I'm not the son you wanted me to be. I don't blame you." Anxiety thick in his chest again, Adam pushed the food away and sipped at his drink. "Are you still ok with Erin staying here for Halloween?" Adam spoke quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear. "Of course, I wouldn't force you to need another way to keep her safe." "Thanks." Though he had given it up because of everything else, Adam happily dropped the conversation in favour of tossing the rugby ball with the twins - they didn't really care extensively about anything going on unless it involved sport, food, Ingrid or someone threatening Chloe or George.

By the time they were doing cake and singing, Adam was itching to get away from it all. He stayed to see George open her gifts, their mum looking surprised at the collection of photographs spanning their childhoods. "Where did you even find all these?" "Mum used my laptop to back up our photo collection, I picked the best ones." He hugged George goodbye, offering his mum a tight smile and escaping before he felt trapped. Stumbling into the castle, he dashed up to his room and pulled his clothes off in a bid to lessen the tight feeling of his skin. Stretching out across his bed didn't help, and Adam found himself pressing against bruises and bites on his skin until pain shuttered through him. Finally breathing a little easier, he felt tears rise and blinked them away. Erin looked surprised to find him there, having just exited the shower. "Did something happen?"

Shaking his head and wriggling under their covers so Erin wouldn't get chilled as they cuddled, Adam blinked away more tears. "Just felt anxious, out of place. Waited for the cake and birthday song and George opening her gifts, but I had to get out of there. I just didn't feel right, I don't belong there anymore." "How were the Branaghs?" "The twins will never change. Chloe was as nice as ever, but that could have been for George's sake. Mr and Mrs Branagh said hi and told me I look a bit peaky, and Robin's girlfriend held tight and shot me death glares. Maybe she knows Robin swings both ways and blamed me somehow." "Yeah, going round seducing everyone with awkwardness and those big blue eyes. I can see that."

Erin giggled when he poked her in retaliation, pointing out she was naked in bed with him so it obviously worked. Anxiety melted away under the heat of Erin's skin, pain easing his tension as she nipped roughly at his neck. He had to remember not to get too rough with his nearly-7-months pregnant girlfriend, but she had no such reservations and dragged nails down his chest, smiling cheekily when Adam arched into the touch. Erin's soft sighs of pleasure still made him hotter for her, time and experience never changing how either she or Ingrid affected him. Pressing a kiss to her swollen stomach, Adam curled up level with the bump and spoke softly to the baby about how they had a wonderful mother. "Your father is alright too, though I am amazing." Smiling up at Erin, Adam noticed the sun setting.

"Better get dressed before we traumatize Ryan again?" Erin chuckled and nodded, following Adam into comfortable clothing and rubbing at her back. "Getting heavy. I look huge." Cradling her bump, Adam kissed her. "You look beautiful." She smiled softly, nuzzling into his chest. "Come on, I'm getting hungry." There were always snack foods in their room so Erin didn't have to traverse the stairs if she got peckish, but she still needed proper meals. Adam pulled out his books - he had probably learned everything he would need twice over but he still worried. Erin kissed his cheek but left him to it, Ryan joining them and chatting with his sister.

Ingrid rose soon after, smirking darkly at Adam behind Ryan's back and he ignored the spark in his chest. He loved Ingrid and Erin equally, but Ingrid definitely reveled in Adams physical desire for her more than Erin did. Though Erin was heavily pregnant, he supposed that could change after the baby was born and they had time to breathe between being parents. He was surprised his anxiety issues didn't spike when thinking about impending fatherhood, but he was actually excited about the baby. He was young and terrified to mess it up, but Adam knew he loved the baby already. When they talked about it, Erin said she thought the baby was a boy but wouldn't care either way. Adam agreed it didn't matter, but for some reason he thought it was a girl.

This led to the parents to be making a daft bet of whoever was wrong was to be stuck with late night nappy changes. Adam didn't mind either way, he wanted to be a good father - he had been lucky to have Michael as example, not that he thought the Count would have been a bad father but he was still happy to have been raised human. No matter who or what he would become, they were still his family in spite of all the issues now. Dinner was a quiet affair, minus the loud sounds of the Count watching TV. He kept studying until Ryan went out flying again, then he continued studying with Ingrid's hand laced through his while Erin lazed laughing at Count Dracula and his taste in TV shows.

Ingrid let him go to kiss Erin goodnight, then led him to her room. Sat on her bed with Ingrid firmly in his lap, she tested him on random things, nipping his throat with a smirk when he got things wrong and slowly stripping away articles of clothing when he got things right. "I have to say, I really hope you don't help everyone study this way." Ingrid winked as she pulled off his t-shirt, biting harder at his collarbone where he could hide the bruises. "I'm helping my brother pass his blood tests, surely I'm simply being a good sister?" Adam doubted that most would agree with her methods, but he had forgotten to care by the time Ingrid was naked against him. He panicked slightly when Ryan returned in time to catch him heading up to his tower room with shower-damp hair, but Ryan looked away in horror and mumbled something about not wanting to know what he and Erin got up to.

This reminded him he had forgotten his t-shirt in Ingrid's room, and he hurried away before Ryan could notice the fresh fang marks in his shoulder amongst the other evidence of rough play on his skin. Erin was already asleep by the time he got to his room, though she stirred enough to lie on his chest as he settled next to her. Adam tried to tell himself he got away with it and went to sleep, hoping Ingrid's general effect on any male would help convince Ryan nothing untoward was going on. He didn't wake up with Ryan trying to kill him while calling him a sick pervert, so he supposed he could forget about the close call for now and resumed laughing at Erin practicing nappy changes on a doll George had put in the boxes of baby things - she had never been a fan of them.

"Just because the tape doesn't stick to you like magic!" Erin scowled, and he would have worried she would flame the baby doll if she weren't human. "Look, relax. You're getting too worked up, just try again. Slowly." A few tries later, Erin had successfully put one on without tearing it, and it stayed on when she picked it up. "I had practice young, you didn't. Don't panic, that's what practice is for." "How are you so relaxed about this? You're the anxious one!" Smiling softly as he cradled the fake doll, making sure he could support the head right one-handed for bottle feeding, Adam looked at his panicking girlfriend. "I know, but honestly, while I'm terrified to mess something up, I can't deny I'm excited to be a father." Erin tried out the holding next, though she had to adjust slightly compared to Adam to accommodate her growing chest.

"Me too, but I am clearly more scared than you are." "Blame the hormones and throw things at me or something. You're pregnant, own it!" Erin laughed, swatting him with the baby doll. "Don't do that with the real one!" That earned him a shove in the shoulder, but she was still smiling. "You two sound disgustingly happy up here, what's going on?" Ingrid hadn't hit her coffin for the day, landing in their room and clicking her fingers to close the window shutters. "Erin is hitting me with our practice baby, so standard parent to be stuff I guess?" Ingrid surveyed the pile of torn up nappy practice with a smirk, holding up the doll by its leg. "Well at least this one can't cry." "So does that mean you won't flame it so we have something to practice on? Unless we call your mother back that is?"

Ingrid scowled and tossed the doll back to Adam, shaking her head. "Lets not. Because then I'll stake her and we will be stuck with the half breed baby." "Hey, less hate for the half breeds, I'm one remember?" The vampire girl shrugged, but he caught her smirking as he dropped the baby into the crib. "Don't do that with the real one!' Erin grinned, throwing his own words back at him. "I won't, but that one won't complain." Erin looked away with a laugh as Ingrid kissed him before disappearing off to sleep for the day. "Nice lipstick." Checking in the mirror, Adam scrubbed the red stain off his mouth. "Don't you think it suits me?" "Not as much as the eyeliner does, sorry."

"I hardly ever even wear it, and I sleep enough that I don't need concealer even if the nightmares haven't totally gone. So maybe I've outgrown my boy makeup days." "I hope not, I still want to see you in the full get up with makeup." Erin pouted, so Adam kissed her until she smiled again. "I'll be sure to do that sometime, maybe I'll surprise you. Come on, I want coffee and I need to study." Erin let him pull her downstairs, sitting while he made coffee and got her a cold drink - she got hot easy lately. Rather than just sit trying to absorb the books, Adam lay with his head near the bump and read to the baby about Carpathian artifacts. Erin dozed comfortably while he read, absent mindedly petting his hair when she drifted awake.

They moved for lunch, and Adam laughed to himself as Erin requested her steak rarer than she usually had it. "I suppose there are worse cravings I could have than a bit of rare meat." Nodding in agreement, Adam did the dishes and flicked soapy water at his giggling girlfriend. "Domestic god and excited expectant father. Didn't I luck out in the vampire boyfriend lottery?" "I don't know, I still don't quite see how you fell for me, I was a wreck." "You were also sweet and funny, you put nearly all your energy into taking care of your family. Even after you 'scored', you were polite and treated me like a person in spite of the loose parameters of our relationship. You underestimate yourself too much, even if I weren't expecting a vampire I was surprised to find just how... Human you are. Don't sell yourself short Adam."

His cheeks were flushed red, ducking his head as Erin spoke. "You make me sound like a good person. I fucked around, lied to a lot of people, people almost died because I was born. Don't get me wrong, I love you and I'm happy we are here and now and I'm so excited we are having our kid even if its terrifying at my age. But I can't ignore that there are huge flaws in my personality, and that there are repercussions to who and what I am." It didn't need saying about Ingrid, he didn't feel guilty for loving Ingrid or see the dark depravity he should in sleeping with his sister, but Adam could never truly ignore the fear of how other people would react, or completely accept that Erin was ok with it. And Erin knew that, though they had stopped rehashing the same argument in fear of being overheard - Ryan spent a lot of time in the evenings with them before they slept and he did vampire night stuff.

"You were protecting people. Hell, I could see in your face you were willing to die that night if it meant everyone else was safe. And you didn't ask to be made from two worlds, or choose to be the chosen one. I don't think I would have coped with your life the past year or so, let alone come out of it with little more than an anxiety disorder and a taste for rough sex." Adam knew his anxiety was irrational at times, the dull ache in his chest appearing with no reason sometimes. "I guess I can take up smiling or alcohol, not like it'll kill me." "No but I will, half vampire or not you are not smoking near me or the baby." "I'm kidding, sex is more fun and less harmful. Generally." They both chuckled at that, knowing Adams skin was patterned with scarring from his 'tastes'.

"Ingrid says they'll disappear when I transform, and as a vampire I'll heal too fast to scar easily as a vampire. Unless fangs are involved, those scars will only heal if I use something to heal it." "It'll be kind of weird, you'll be colder and paler, and not all marked up." Looking at his girlfriend, Adam felt whispers of worry. "Are you saying you won't want me when I'm really undead? I won't blame you if you don't." She actually rolled her eyes, wrapping arms around him. "I fell for you knowing you would change, don't be stupid and think that'll change. You'll still be you, right?" Adam nodded, wrapping her in his hold tightly so she couldn't see tears in his eyes. Because truth be told, he wasn't sure who he might be in a year.

-VAI-

 **Enjoy a second chapter in as many days!**


	16. Ordinary Day

**Don't own the characters.**

 **I'm supposed to be updating Chosen Two, but I am a terrible planner and the notes on that aren't finished, so here I am!**

 **This is set early September, there was nothing else to do for August.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

The Count was still laughing, looking through the forms Adam had requested so he could be registered as home schooled. "Breathers actually do all this to teach their offspring chemistry and history? String them up by their ankles and spray garlic at them until they learn! At least, thats how nanny Klontaff taught me, and it never did me any harm did it?" The four teens sat around the dinner table all shared looks that said "nobody answer that". Zoltan was happily chewing his way through one of Adams old school books, apparently paper was perfectly edible when you are a taxidermy hell hound. "As long as the forms get filled in and sent back every school term, and we arrange for my GCSE exams to be held here, then nobody will bother us about me not going back to school. And we are trying to avoid attention here."

"A future Count Dracula taking GCSEs, now I have heard it all." Ingrid was looking distinctly uninterested, painting her long nails and periodically scowling at their father. "Then again, the current Count Dracula is obsessed with Hollyoaks, at least breather exams require a brain cell or two." "I am the Prince Of Darkness!" It was at this point Adam tuned out the argument, focusing on correctly filling in his forms so he didn't have to to to Stokely Grammar again. "I'm going to have to forge this, it needs my legal guardians signature and I don't see my mum agreeing." Sighing as he faked the S. Giles signature, Adam put away the forms before his father could flame them. "You're a Dracula now, you should be getting used to breaking the rules."

Erin snorted into her drink at Ingrid's words, faking a coughing fit when Ryan looked at her strangely. Adam promptly hid behind his book on blood types, clutching his glass of lemonade tightly and hoping Ryan didn't secretly turn out to be amazing at telepathy. Most of Adams life the last year and a half had been breaking almost any and every rule possible. "Less than a month to your exams, nervous half breed?" "You're a slayer turned half fang Ryan, I'd watch your tone." Erin raised an eyebrow at him and Adam mouthed 'later' at her, and Ryan quietly resumed eating his... Adam didn't know what it was before, now a pile of unidentifiable meat.

Over seven months pregnant, Erin was getting pretty big, both around her stomach and her chest. Which Adam did his best not to get distracted by, but when Erin lifted off her t-shirt and her chest was pushed outwards he found himself looking. "Eyes up vampire boy, why were you so cold with Ryan earlier?" Sighing, Adam sat down on the bed while Erin stole his old, too big t-shirts to sleep in. "I'm sorry, I just don't like the whole half breed thing. Its like he's insulting the baby too." Erin nodded, drinking from the nearest water bottle deeply and visibly shuddering at the cold temperature. She joined him on their bed, looking deep in thought about something. "Ingrid calls you it too." "That's different, its basically her way of... Flirting. I really hope Ryan isn't hitting on me to be honest, or would you like me to be hooking up with your brother?" She looked a little out of sorts for a moment at the thought, but then Erin's face smoothed out.

"No, I don't actually think you're Ryan's type to be honest." "In the name of honesty, I expect you didn't think I'd be your type this time last year." Settling back against the bed and feeling Erin lean against him, Adam realised it had been just over a year since Erin appeared in his life. "True. But then I didn't expect to be pregnant with your kid five months after meeting you either." Running his hand over the bump, Adam couldn't help smiling. "Tiny little miracle you are. Lets just hope you get your mothers looks, since you're stuck with my future fangs junior." Erin pinched at his arm teasingly, pulling him into a soft kiss. "It won't be the worst thing if they look like you. You're kind of cute. In the right light. From a distance." Erin was grinning cheekily, Adam pouting for show.

"Nice to feel wanted I guess." Erin kissed him again, nuzzling his shoulder and curling up to sleep. "I'm the size of a blimp because I couldn't stop wanting you. So don't get overdramatic on me." Curling his body around hers, Adam cradled her stomach and kissed her shoulder. "You look beautiful, don't ever think otherwise." Erin settled contently in his arms, drifting off like a pregnant, softly breathing furnace in his bed. After a couple of hours, he still couldn't sleep and carefully moved away from Erin, replacing the protective vampireproofing over their window. With the upcoming test, and the growing knowledge of Adam being the chosen one, they were wary of Erin's safety whenever she was alone.

The three vampires living in Castle Dracula knew not to try and come in through that window unless it was wide open - a silent sort of signal it was either both or neither of he and Erin in there. Satisfied Erin was safe to sleep alone now, Adam stretched and padded downstairs. The main room was empty, and he wasn't stupid enough to risk going to Ingrid's room when he didn't know whether Ryan was there or not. Hunting out a drink, Adam didn't even think about it as he clicked his fingers and the candles lit around him. It was only an hour to sunrise when Ingrid and Ryan found him reading by candlelight, no doubt looking as though he hadn't slept - he hadn't. "Did you light all these by hand? Dads out looking for lore on the chosen one, so he didn't do it." Looking around, Adam shook his head. "No. I didn't even think about it, just clicked" he did it again and the light went out "and it happened." Not yet gifted with his future night vision skills, Adam clicked again and continued reading.

"Have you been down here all night?" "Couldn't sleep, gave up after a couple of hours and figured I could spend more time studying." Ryan shrugged and flitted off, though he caught the quick look of longing the half fang threw Ingrid. "I wouldnt be surprised if you could pass the test tomorrow, you must have gone through most of the library. Twice. Granted, you probably won't beat my score but I am amazing." Finally looking up from his book, Adam threw his vampire sister a smirk. "Ryan certainly seems to think so." Jumping slightly at the blur of Ingrid, Adam found himself straddled somewhat, her body over his. "My brother couldn't resist me, how is that half fang supposed to?" A blistering kiss was pressed to his lips, melting his body into the sofa he was lazing on.

"Are you and him... Actually, never mind. Not my business." Realising he had no place to question what she did, Adam stopped talking before he dug his own grave. Ingrid pressed a finger against his lips before speeding a sibling-acceptable distance away, leaving Adam mildly confused until he heard the Count land in the room less than half a minute later. Hoping he didn't look too dopey, Adam sat up and used the book he was holding to cover his lap. "Morning father." "Ah. Vlad my boy! Awake at night again? Good good." The sun wasn't long to rising, but the Count was obviously excited about something and started dashing around. Trapped for the sake of modesty as he was, Adam caught Ingrid's knowing smirk as she spotted the conveniently placed book. Scowling back at her, though not too harshly, Adam inclined his head at their father. Ingrid shrugged, apparently no more in the know than he was.

As soon as he could safely stand without embarrassing himself, Adam left his overexcited, rambling father to it and headed up for a shower with the aim of feeling more alert. Ingrid following him, locking the door and pulling him under the water may not have been part of the plan, but Adam wasn't complaining as her cold skin contrasting with the hot water tingled over his nerves. Wary of the echoes his thick bedroom walls helped dull but the bathroom lacked, Adam groaned as Ingrid bit him, stifling her own sounds of pleasure against his skin. The sun was up by the time they parted ways, Ingrid stealing away to her own room after she pressed him to the wall to kiss him again. "In answer to your question, no."

Left feeling a little confused as he went to dress for the day, Adam remembered what he asked her and felt a little guilty for being so happy about it. If Ingrid seriously wanted to seek out other... Company, Adam wouldn't stop her. But he couldn't help being glad Ryan wasn't about to become part of his already confusing love life. When he returned downstairs, stomach grumbling for breakfast, Adam found his father still awake. "Its daylight, what are you doing out of your coffin? Its not a special occasion." "Oh contraire, I have found you a tutor. Not for the blood tests, but for your future as the Chosen One. It won't start until after the VHC come to verify you are indeed who we say you are, so worry not for your little pregnant pet slayer."

"How much does this tutor know? I'm half human, Erin's a slayer, there's breather visitors here there and everywhere and you have your little pet half fang." "None of that, obviously. We can sort out what can and can't be told at a later date, but the Chosen One is cloaked in myth and legend, there aren't many who are experts in such matters. And to be fair my son, you could do with some guidance in vampirehood." Not in the mood to argue about not wanting to be 'super vampiric' Adam kept quiet, chewing on the toast Renfield brought him and yawning over his books until the Count went to bed/coffin for the day. After that was achieved he amused himself by sitting on the throne seat in front of the TV - only the Count was supposed to sit here. Erin rose nearer to midday, sleepy smiles as sweet as ever.

Adam filled her in on the events of the night as she ate the lunch Adam made, having told Renfield to go get some sleep or a shower, he wasn't fussy so long as the servant took time off. Erin more than happily went along with Adam's little revenge plan, smirking as he unzipped his jeans and sighing in pleasure as she sat in his lap on the throne. The throne was sturdy enough to stay fairly quiet as their hips rocked against each other, groaning in concert and falling into fits of laughter after at the thought of keeping a straight face the next time they saw the Count sat here. Erin commandeered the TV remote afterwards, flicking through the channels and Adam sighed contentedly, letting his mind drift easily. He felt Erin jolt in his lap, automatically reaching for her stomach.

"Yes, yes you can in fact move in there. Doesn't mean you need to try out for the rugby team before you are born!" The baby was more active with each passing week, wriggling and kicking energetically. Erin took it in stride mostly, as the baby didn't wake her often so she wasn't sleep deprived to add to the general pregnancy grumblings. That didn't mean she enjoyed the baby having a go at gymnastics against her internal organs constantly, so Adam tried to rub her stomach soothingly and spoke softly to the baby. She smiled in relief when Adams voice seemed to do the trick, the baby relaxing inside her again. "Thank you." "For what? I get all the happy moments, I can't thank you enough for being strong enough to do this, going through so much for us, for our baby." Erin kissed him softly, shifting to get comfortable again afterwards. "Still, thank you. Not every expectant father is so patient with their pregnant girlfriend."

Shrugging, Adam let her get comfortable and watch TV, only shifting her when it was almost dinner and the others would be waking soon. "Don't want Ryan getting jealous now, because apparently I'm slowly seducing everyone in the castle." Erin shoved his shoulder as he helped her stand, shaking her head. "No, I mean if you're craving male company then I think its better all round if it isn't Ryan." Chuckling, Adam shook his head. "I told you way back then, gender has never been important to me. Granted guys are a little different, but I don't feel like I'm missing anything not having a guy in my life." "I am so glad you ended that sentence with life, I was worried we were walking in on something weird." Unable to resist, Adam winked at Erin before turning to Ryan. "Well I could talk about having a guy in my body, but I figure that's not standard predinner conversation, what do you think?" Ryan cringed, turning away and taking less than a minute to decide to go out flying again. "That was evil!" Pulling Erin tighter against his side, Adam winked over at Ingrid. "Well I am a Dracula."

-VAI-

 **Right, absolutely going to finish my basic notes for Chosen Two and getting on with an update, honest.**


	17. Testing Patience

**Not my characters.**

 **So, back again I see! Not much to say other than thanks for everyone sticking with me and enjoy!**

-VAI-

A week until his exams and Adam was officially panicking, though according to both Ingrid and Zoltan he was completely prepared. Erin was almost eight months along and pretty big now, though even in his panic Adam was smart enough not to say that to her - she said it enough herself. He couldn't help laughing at Erin threatening to stake the Count for saying her stomach was too big for her frame. Ingrid and Erin even seemed to bond somewhat over Erin's raging hormones, laughing together whenever one of the males in the castle said something wrong and raised Erin's ire. As mildly terrified as he was of his girlfriend, Adam was just glad Erin wasn't getting fits of sadness, he could handle mood swings after spending so much time with Draculas.

Saddling his bike and doing his paper round, Adam timed it so he could finish up and head straight out to buy the last of the baby supplies needed - thanks to his mum handing over all the old clothes and furniture, all that was needed now was bottles and sterilising equipment - he trusted Erin and her choice of terry cloth nappies that were apparently washable and reusable. So long as the baby was content, Adam was happy to let Erin decide all that. Heading to the pharmacy for Erin's favourite chocolate, he realised he hadn't dyed his hair in over a month but the whole lot was still black. Catching sight of a pacifier with a pumpkin on it, he grabbed that with a smile and headed back to the castle.

Erin was awake and happy to see the chocolate when he returned, and smiled as he stacked up the last of the bottles and equipment in the cupboard - the stuff couldn't be left out when they were potentially expecting vampire visitors. "For two kids still finishing puberty, I would say we are as ready as we'll ever be. Not long now." Erin hummed in agreement, mouth full of chocolate as Adam rubbed her stomach and smiled as the baby kicked his hand. "Your mother still says boy, I still say girl. What do you think junior?" The baby wriggled beneath his hand, though Adam couldn't exactly translate that to an agreement with either. "So who is that agreeing with?" Shrugging at Erin's expectant look, Adam kissed the bump and moved to kiss Erin. He could taste the chocolate on her tongue, licking at her lips teasingly. "Easy now, I'm in need of bathroom and breakfast."

Pretending to sulk at the rebuttal, Adam helped Erin stand, brushing the mess off their bed and helping her to the bathroom. She sent him ahead to make sure there was breakfast waiting, so Adam left her to do her thing, ensuring there was food as he buried himself in books again. "Good morning master Adam Vlad." "Morning Zoltan, how is life as a hell hound today?" "So so, your sister tried to convince the slayer boy half fang to practice fire balls and levitation on me last night. But then your father spilled a tasty meal on the floor. So about level." Rolling his eyes at how Ingrid seemed to entertain herself when Adam was asleep, Adam made sure to offer Zoltan a piece of his bacon in apology as he resumed studying vampire bat physiology. "Aren't you sick of those books yet?" Erin asked between mouthfuls of food, eyeing his pile of work.

"Oh definitely, but a week from now I won't have to look at them ever again, when it comes to all this vampire stuff I would rather be over prepared than unprepared." Erin shrugged, stealing the leftovers of his breakfast with a grin as Adam sipped his coffee. Ingrid wouldn't let him drink too much of it, but he could get away with it in the mornings when she was asleep and not part of the "stop Adam going off the deep end again" team - even Zoltan was in on it now and kept a stealthy beady eye on him. Mostly because Ingrid threatened to put itching powder in his stuffing again, so Adam didn't blame him too much. He understood to an extent, if Ingrid's birthday night hadn't brought everything to a head, he may not have made it to see his sixteenth birthday with how little care he was taking of himself. That didn't mean Adam liked to be coddled, which led to some interesting heated debates with Ingrid that usually ended in fiery, angry sex. After almost getting caught by Ryan a few days ago, they could barely look at each other without giving in to guilty fits of giggles.

"You've been staring at the same page for ten minutes, you aren't even studying." Erin flicked a piece of toast at his face, laughing at Adam's -very manly- shriek of surprise. "Sorry, I drifted a little. Not sleeping great with all this exam stuff and then that flapping Halloween party. Yes I did just substitute swearing for bat stuff, shush." Erin was chuckling into her juice - her choice to give up caffeine, not his. "I didn't say a thing, you're the one who has long, very odd chats with vampires not me." "Technically you've lived here longer than me, and you're the only human. Even if you have slayers blood." That won him a pout from his girlfriend so Adam kissed her on his way back to the kitchen for more coffee, winning a smile as he did so.

"How many is that?" "Only my second, I promise to go back to only two a day by the time I'm done with my tests, but after living on it for months I crave the taste as much as the caffeine now." Zoltan marked it down on his 'chart', surprisingly dexterous for something with paws nailed down and only able to hold a pen in his mouth. Adam still hadn't worked out how Zoltan put reading glasses in. Or how he could read, though his father just said "vampire things are mysterious" when Adam was talking to the hound. Resuming his reading, Adam felt like the words were permanently burned into his eyes. "I'm taking up working as a bat vet after this, I know more about bats than bats do." He gave up by lunchtime, feeding Erin and the baby and following her up to lie on their bed watching movies. "I'll be sure to write how hard you work on your home school forms, watching Pirates of The Carribean is clearly how to pass GCSE maths."

Looking down at his smirking girlfriend, Adam grinned in response. "I'm hoping our kid will be savvy like Jack, that's some kind of learning." "You are not raising our baby on the open seas." "Of course not, vampires would make terrible sailors, what with not going out in daylight and all." Erin rolled her eyes and went back to watching the movie, wriggling in his lap to get comfortable and telling the baby they were not allowed to become a pirate. "Little early to be enforcing career options on them isn't it?" "I don't know, what do vampires actually do as careers?" Thinking of his 'status' Adam shrugged. "Well from what I gathered, my uncle Ivan sells real estate but that's uncommon. Plus I have a future position as leader of all vampire clans apparently, I have no idea. Immorality and not much in job options, vampires are weird."

"That's what is weird to you?" "Says the slayer carrying a half vampire." "I wonder if they will be the first, not like the two get close all that often without some kind of puncture wounds." "Maybe. But then I wonder how much it matters, yeah they will be genetically similar to me but unless you plan on running off and raising the baby as a slayer then I guess how we raise them is what counts." Lacing their fingers together over the bump, Adam couldn't help smiling again. "You got me into this, you don't get out that easy." Nuzzling the back of her neck, Adam held her tighter. "I don't want to, I love the little wriggler already." "Good." Erin settled against him to nap, effectively trapping him until dinner. Mealtimes were secret internal alarms for her, he was sure. The vampires were rising by the time they came down, and Adam noticed Ryan still looking at Ingrid in what he probably thought wasn't an obvious way.

Not naturally possessive, Adam felt guilty for taking solace in Ingrid telling him there was nothing going on there. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, Adam sat down for dinner and conversed briefly with his father about the upcoming test. "Not long now until you prove my son and heir is a vampire genius." "I know I need to pass, but what specifically what happens if I don't?" "You'll have every weakness vampire DNA carries, no sunlight or garlic or playing with pointy wood, but you won't have powers - No fangs, fireballs, flying or transformations." "Right. So how come half fangs don't have that roadblock?" The Count, Ingrid, Ryan and Erin all looked up in surprise. "What? Curiosities on how come Ryan lucks out, I get stuck studying until my brain is made of bats and he's all vamped up."

"No, it's not that. I never even considered that." "Its a fair question my son, I can't say anyone has ever asked. See, vampire genius!" Seeing he was no closer to an answer, Adam went back to his books. "Half fang DNA is all vampire, it's a full rewrite. And it's rather frowned upon to bite before they are sixteen, which is a shame. Teenage blood is so fruity and sweet." Grimacing slightly at his father looking far too happy as he spoke, Adam shuddered inwardly and drank his coffee. "That's disgusting. And doesn't answer my question. Though I now assume you're rambling to cover up not knowing, so I'm going to go back to my book on vampire diseases and pretend I didn't hear that." Leaving his two girlfriends to irritate the Count while Ryan watched on in amusement, Adam re-read the book he had read half a dozen times and thanked Renfield for some surprisingly palatable coffee refill.

* * *

In spite of studying until his eyes bled ("sounds fun" "Its just an expression" "that's not nearly as good" "thanks dad"), Adam was nervous. Ryan and Ingrid had Erin safely hidden upstairs - they couldn't put her in the crypt in case the examiner checked in there and were counting on Adam being responsible for any lingering human scent, though Renfield helped mask that. And if they tried to check the tower room, nobody would argue with Ingrid defending her 'privacy'. His sister could be pretty terrifying when she wanted to be, even if the biggest threat she was to Adam was to his clothes when she was impatient to get him naked. Dragging his train of thought away from anything involving Ingrid and naked before he was obviously aroused in front of the examiner, Adam readjusted the stiff cape.

"So, Vladimir Dracula?" "Vlad, if you don't mind sir." The old man looked down at him in confusion, and Adam remembered he was supposed to be a super powerful evil creature. His "vampire outfit" was complimented by a heavy cloak, emblazoned with what he was told was the Dracula coat of arms - it was on his father and Ingrids cloaks, and the top of the Counts throne. Tracing the outline of it as he waited, Adam kept wary eyes on the old vampire. "Are we getting on with this or are you checking me out? No offence but you aren't my type." The examiner scowled and hissed at Adam, but after months living with Draculas he wasn't phased, raising an eyebrow until the vampire backed down. "Don't forget who you're talking to old man, I'll be sure to pass on your behaviour when the Council come to recognise me officially in a months time."

"Insolent brat, watch your tone! It could all be a lie anyway, a trick for Count Dracula to gain status." Turning to the Crown of Power waiting to be shown with him on Halloween, Adam smirked. "If you're so sure of that, you're welcome to try on my crown. No? Then stop stalling and lets get this test over with." It was easier than he thought to be cold and blase to the vampire, but it was something he needed to master if he was going to survive as "Vladimir Dracula" and "the chosen one". The irritated vampire seemed to contemplate him for a moment, scenting the air and flitting around the castle. Adam was about to go after him when he heard "get out!" and lightning crackling - the vampire had found Ingrid. Unable to hold in a chuckle as the vampire returned visibly shaken, Adam looked pointedly up at the ceiling. "I see you've met my sister."

"I smell pregnant breather." "Of course you do. My sister's boyfriend is a half fang, his sister is pregnant. When she's given birth she'll be turned, and then when the little one is old enough they will be too. For now she just visits. Not that that's any of your business, though you're welcome to try and argue with the chosen one and Ingrid Dracula." This seemed to remind the examiner of his place, though by now Adam was half set on staking him and taking the exam by mail. A quick call of "dad" had the Count appearing, eyeing the examiner. "I thought you could keep him company, the old man made the mistake of annoying me and Ingrid, lets see if he is brave enough to try the Dracula hat trick thinking he'll survive." There was pride, as twisted as it was, in his father's expression as he sat down, glaring at the examiner and watching Adam drop his cape to sit down at the desk set up.

"Two hours, the hourglass is specially designed for it. Begin." Remembering to scrawl Vlad rather than Adam across the top, Adam flipped the page open. The first questions were exceptionally simple, scribbling 'O' as the most common blood type and trying not to get ahead of himself. By the time he was done, half an hour still to go, Adam may have to admit to Erin he was over prepared - there wasn't a question he didn't feel safe in his answer. Not that he expected to get a perfect score, but he was more than confident he passed as he knew the pass grade was only 50%. Both vampires watching looked surprised when he declared he was finished, standing and stretching the kinks out of his back. "Can I go now?" The examiner scowled again - his face might stick like that at this rate - but nodded, so Adam picked up his cape and strolled out to the throne room.

Fidgeting as he chewed on a bat biscuit, Adam wanted the examiner to leave so he could go to his room and get out of the vampire attire - it was a surprisingly warm September evening. Though as of tomorrow it was October, the whole autumn season was not nearly as cold as it often was. He fought the urge to growl angrily when the examiner hung around like he was entitled to, Adam kept an eye on the time and prompted the man to hurry to beat the sunrise near Transylvania. Groaning in relief but not stupid enough to hurry up to the stairs instantly as he left, Adam reclined in his chair and waited for his father to speak. "Confident you passed son?" "Completely. Even more confident in my eternal desire to shove garlic down that examiners throat." That won him a clap on the shoulder, and his father indicated the coast was clear. "Finally! Might impress the admirers but I don't know how you wear this stuff all the time. Mind you, you don't really get warm like I do."

Knocking the door to his own room, Ingrid pulled it open and Adam saw the two Noble siblings asleep on his bed. "I didn't realise you could ever be boring." Ingrid smirked, tossing him his sleepwear and tugging him along by his tie to his bathroom. They both grumbled at the careful removing of his outfit, but Ingrid's came away easier and Adam considered Ingrid naked and biting down on his shoulder an excellent celebration of finishing his exams. "One step closer to a real vampire now brother dear." Pressing her into the wall, Adam nipped at her throat until Ingrid was shaking and clutching at him. "Bet you can't wait." She nodded, actually pulling him into the shower with her and whimpering against his neck as he slid inside her.

Kissing her again as they dressed, Adam inclined his head to the door. "Ryan isn't waiting out there is he?" Ingrid shook her head, barely letting him pick up his clothes before shoving him out and flitting away. He hated having to limit the time he could actually spend with her, missed the nights she fell asleep with him terribly. Dumping his clothes to be laundered, Adam nudged Ryan awake. "Clap off to your own coffin, this is my bed." Ryan glared but flitted away, leaving space for Adam to drop into bed. Erin shifted in her sleep, but Adam kept quiet and she drifted back down and he was happy to follow her. One hurdle down, only a couple more hundred to go.

-VAI-

 **So, I know Renfield does Vlad's test and all that but my Adam/Vlad is already outed as chosen one so he's special already. Not much time until Halloween!**


	18. Counting Down

**Not my characters.**

 **... Yeah not much to say.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

"I look like I swallowed a planet!" Looking over from where he was testing out different outfits for the Halloween party next week, Adam saw Erin with her (his) shirt rolled up off her stomach. "You look beautiful, and last I checked you didn't swallow a baby. Well..." "Stop right there, I may be human but I can still bite you." Not pushing his luck when Erin looked so murderous, Adam went back to the pile of ties. "Purple doesn't really suit me, why does Ingrid insist on threatening to throttle me with purple ties and waistcoats? Which I presume is her way to say I should wear them?" "I think it suits you, and Ingrid likes purple I guess." Shaking his head and buttoning up a purple waistcoat to match the black and purple tie, he turned for Erin's approval. "I'm not going for attractive, I'm going for I'm not secretly half breather and I am going to rule you all. Just imagine the jacket and cape, I'm not putting those on to try on ties."

"Just stick some of those plastic fangs in?" "No because they know I'm not sixteen yet, so they will know they are fake." "I didn't say for the party." In spite of threatening to castrate him only yesterday for getting her so so pregnant, Erin was smirking at him now. "Behave you, not long to go now." "You suck." "I could make so many jokes about that, but instead I'm going to change, then feed you before you stake me and call George." "I'm glad you have priorities, I need food." Carefully folding the outfit aside, Adam winked as Erin blatantly eyed him up but dressed anyway. Erin was indeed very heavy with child, her flat stomach turned round as the baby grew. She melted slightly when Adam rubbed at the sore part of her lower back, smiling at him as he helped her down the stairs. "Great view and all but damn that's a lot of stairs." "Yeah, but means the baby is less likely to wake the vampires." Picking at a sandwich while Erin ate, Adam could feel anxious excitement bubbling as the 'due date' grew nearer.

"Ghost boy!" George practically screamed down the phone, happiness evident in her voice. "Munchkin! Calm down I still need my eardrums." "Sorry! I just miss you even if you're too pale to be allowed. How's Erin?" "Threatening my life mostly, but she's good." George laughed down the phone, no doubt approving of such things. "Well that's what you get being a bad boy and putting babies around." He heard their mother scold George for coming out with such things, and George's pout was evident in her tone as she responded. "Its Adam! And it's true!" There was an inaudible conversation on that end, and George came back with "mum said she can come get you guys in the day time so you don't have to spend too much time away from Erin but I think she really means she wants to see you." "Ok then, but Ingrid will have to come along. I need a lift back to the castle at sunset." More inaudible conversation, and Adam was certain he heard "biting" more than once. "Mum said ok because I said I want to see Ingrid, but only if she promises not to bite anyone." "I'll be sure to pass it along. I'll see you then munchkin." "Unless you turn so pale you fade away, I'll see you soon!" Unable to suppress a smile as he hung up, Adam caught Erin smirking.

"What?" "Your party isnt at sunset, it's not until 8pm. Somehow I don't see you and she going straight from your mums to here." "Not the point. Between the baby and this bloody tutor dads hired, I'm not going to get much time with Ingrid soon." Erin nodded, looking deep in thought for a moment. "Take the next few days then. Ingrid is going to need help adjusting to being awake in the day." "What, really?" Adam looked at his girlfriend in disbelief, still surprised by her acceptance. "Yeah. You're going to be an anxious mess by Halloween, you'll need her. Just keep your phone about and remember the day time still involves feeding me. Because you're right, the baby is going to eat up both our time." Kissing Erin, Adam cupped her warm cheek. "You're amazing, do I tell you that enough?" "You do. But I don't mind hearing it more." She kissed him again, wriggling to get comfortable in her seat.

"What about Ryan?" "Same excuse, though not the same time passing I expect. Your dad is awake in the day more than he should be anyway, it'll just be dropping the nocturnal patterns for a few days." Looking at his watch, Adam shrugged. "They'll be awake soon anyway, you tell Ryan and I will look suitably grumpy about him taking up time I could be in bed with you." Sharing a smirk with his ever-surprisingly mischievous girlfriend, Adam cleared up their table mess and went in search of coffee. Dropping a glass of milk to Erin as he hunted through the bookcase, he sipped at the hot coffee and pulled down what he was looking for. "You passed your test, with flying blood flow according to your dad. What could you possibly need to read now?" "Just checking for anything fifteen year old vampires should be or do, I'm a rarity and after everything, we can't risk some little difference being the thing that gives us away?" "Don't say you're about to have a kid, mention your sexual deviance or say you don't want to drink blood. Other than that you are no different to an untransformed vampire - trust me the guild checked."

"I forget you used to be a slayer. And funnily enough I wasn't planning on bringing up my 'deviance', Ryan would probably stake me since he's going to be at the party. Better make sure we don't wear matching outfits, that would be awkward." "Don't worry, purple is definitely not Ryan's colour." Looking up in confusion, Adam had never agreed to the colour. "Who said I'm wearing purple?" "Ingrid? Me? You're right about getting ganged up on, I'll get her to hide all your other clothes if you try to say you're wearing anything else." Grumbling unhappily, Adam supposed he was wearing the purple. "Women! I should have just stuck to men." "Not sure I like that idea, I'm the only male option here. Unless you go for Renfield. Or your dad. Ew. I don't know which is worse, I'm going to go wash my brain with garlic." "Evening Ryan!" He and Erin shared a look, wondering how much Ryan had heard. He wasn't looking at Adam with murderous intent or disgust so Adam hoped he was safe for now.

Ingrid was awake soon after, pale and perfect as ever. "Where's dad?" "In his coffin, he was up watching TV until gone mid day. Which is lucky, because Erin decided you two are changing to our sleep pattern before Halloween. Because after the party and the baby being born, we won't have time for sibling bonding. Or something. I'm not brave enough to argue with her." Ducking out of range for Erin to hit him, Adam caught Ingrid looking at him with fire in her eyes. Checking Ryan wasn't looking, Adam mouthed 'later' at Ingrid and got a quick nod in response. "So what, I have to sleep with Erin?" "Well you've fell asleep in my bed next to her before, but we can set up the single if you're dead set against it. Or put your coffin up there. Or you can argue with a heavily pregnant vampire slayer, but I'm not about to." "Where are you sleeping then?" Catching the spoon Erin threw at him (could have been worse, like a knife) Adam shrugged. "Ingrid sleeps in her coffin, I'll camp on her bed or get my own coffin down there. I agree I won't get to see much of my sister when the baby comes, and so I'm happy to agree with Erin."

Ryan looked less than thrilled until he saw Erin looking at him, and finally nodded. "Ok. Whatever you want sis." Erin stopped trying to cause bodily harm after Ryan agreed, so Adam felt safe to resume hugging his girlfriend. "Still active?" Erin nodded, moving his hand to where the baby was kicking. "Active?" "Apparently they can go quite still and sort of take a break for a couple of days before they are planning to escape, then they start wriggling about again and thats a signal to get ready." "Its part Dracula, there is no way the baby isn't going to come on Halloween for the drama and the fact it's the worst timing possible." Ingrid looked bored as she spoke, somehow signalling Ryan to go fetch her nail polish without saying a word. After which she sat filing her nails, and Adam had to fight the anticipation tingling on his skin, curling in his stomach at the thought of later. Her face said she knew exactly what was going through his mind, a smirk twitching at the side of her mouth.

By the time Adam had gone upstairs to get sleepwear as Erin was already starting to fall asleep, Ryan was complaining it was too early to sleep as they had not long left their coffins. Showing him how each cover kept sunlight out and where anything Erin was liable to demand was, Adam couldn't resist grinning cheekily and telling Ryan the bedsheets were clean. "That's disgusting!" "Come on, Erin is heavily pregnant so you can't keep pretending I never slept with her." "Doesn't mean I need reminding." "I'm only messing with you, none of that has happened in a while what with her being so close to giving birth. Its all clear. And you're about to be an uncle!" Ryan finally smiled, following Adam back down to help Erin upstairs. He was going to leave a note to their father, but Ingrid's dark gaze had Adam more than interested as he followed her down to her crypt. "Not that I'm complaining, but what is all this?" Placing his phone where it wouldn't get knocked down but he'd hear if Erin tried to contact him for whatever reason, Adam joined Ingrid on the bed and stripped off his t-shirt.

"I spoke to George earlier about hiding Erin on Halloween. Which by the way, is why you gotta be awake in the day somewhat. Because George wants to see you, and because there's a couple of hours between sundown and party time." Ingrid was more than intelligent enough to follow, smirking as she unzipped her dress and let it fall away. "And when Erin called me out on that as a joke, I pointed out after the baby comes I'll have even less time to get with you. So she said to take these last few nights, make the most of it before everything changes." Her hands moved to unfasten his jeans, pushing them down his legs and pulling his body against hers. "I'm sure we'll find time, but that was still a pretty big thing for her to offer. But right now, conversation can wait." Adam was only too happy to agree as they fumbled to shed their underwear, bodies more than ready for each other already.

It had started off slow, but the fire between them burned hot as her nails sank into his skin, the scars on his shoulder etched anew beneath her fangs as Ingrid claimed his body in every way possible. Nipping along her throat, Adam sucked hard at the deep curve of her collarbone as she did so often to him. The first time only barely quelled the urgency he felt with Ingrid, the second time harder, rougher as their bodies met again. Ingrid's smirk made heat fill him again the third time, forgetting it was a terrible idea as she bit his neck, no fangs but the sucking motion of feeding powerful all the same. Loathe as he was to lose the heavy scent of her on his skin, even Ryan wasn't that dense so Adam let Ingrid pull him into the shower before he put on shorts and stretched out on her bed. "This is a bad idea." Ingrid complained but didn't stop him pulling her into bed, though they both wore sleepclothes. "If Ryan gets creepy stalker on us then I'll say we fell asleep talking and I'm used to sleeping like this with Erin, so my body must have moved in my sleep. I haven't had the chance to fall asleep with you in weeks, so stop complaining and stay. Please?"

He felt happy and victorious as Ingrid let him curl around her, refusing to think of letting her go by morning as he sleepily murmured "I love you" into her shoulder. Ingrid's threats to flame his phone when the alarm to get him up for his paper round were still amusing as he hastened to shut it off, tugging his jeans back on and stealing a jumper from Ingrid, thankful for his slim frame for once as her slender body meant smaller clothes. Their heights were similar enough though, so aside from it trying to give him a more defined waist/hip ratio the jumper fit him fine, and Ingrid stroked over the bruise on his neck as he kissed her until he shuddered. "Stop, do you know how hard it is to cycle with a hard on?" That was the wrong thing to say clearly, as Ingrid pulled him back to the bed and pinned his body, tugging his clothes down to bite at his collarbone again then kissing him until he couldn't breathe. "You can tell me all about it when you get back." Dazed somewhat, Adam had to think for a minute to remember where he was going and why he was dressed.

"Damnit, good job it's too early for anyone to be out to get me arrested for indecency. I'll see you when I get back." Ingrid waved him off, clambering into her coffin for the last stretch of sleep while he was gone. The window covers were all closed when he got back, Erin, Ryan and a still smirking Ingrid sat around the table, and the TV sounds told him the Count was awake. "I didn't realise your paper round was code for fooling around." Ryan's eyes were fixed on Adam's neck, and he remembered Ingrid sucking hard at his skin hours earlier. "Erin's idea of a joke, as it might not heal before the party and I'll have to explain why I of all people have what is effectively a vampiric claim on my skin. I covered it up yesterday, but I forgot my concealer last night and yesterday's must have washed off in the shower." Erin was fighting laughter, he could see it and it was lucky Ryan was paying such close attention to Adam.

"You showered in Ingrid's room?" "She has got the best hair stuff, I won't lie. Ryan, you've used our bathroom and that's probably worse, I don't think I need to spell out why." It took the half fang a moment to cotton on, but then there was laughter all around the table at his horrified expression. That effectively ended that conversation, averting another moment of anxiety tempered only by the phantom aches in his body from Ingrid. A quick glance in the bowl of water confirmed Adam's clothes covered the bruising along his collarbone and the marks in his shoulder as he went to clean his bike, he had neglected it somewhat and wanted to ensure it was still in good shape. Erin managed to convince her body outside to sit on the chair and watch, that infuriating knowing smirk on him as she observed him covered in water and flecks of mud. "Close one." "Yeah but we've managed since last year to keep this a secret, it's like a game with the difficulty turned up." He let Erin enjoy the weak morning sunshine a little longer before wiping his hands off on his t-shirt and helping her back inside. "Just gonna go change, then you can watch me and Ryan suck equally bad at chess together for you ladies amusement." That was apparently agreeable to both girls, so Adam went to ditch his mucky clothes and kept an eye on the door so Ryan wouldn't suddenly appear, as Adam was certain the boy suspected something about he and Ingrid at the very least.

-VAI-

 **So, next chapter is the big one!**

 **Well**

 **One of them, there is still more to come but you can all guess what's going down next chapter - the party!**


	19. Happy Anniversary

**Not my characters.**

 **Party time! So to the characters here, I say Happy Halloween!**

 **To the rest of you, thanks for reading!**

 **Someone asked me why so many of my Adam!Vlad stories follow common themes like him playing rugby or riding a bicycle, and having a mobile phone etc. If you also wonder that, remember those are all things Vlad was saying he would miss when he thought Atilla and Krone were going to push him to change on his 13th birthday and I'm writing him being raised 'normal'.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

From his collarbone to his waist, Ingrid was covering his skin in some kind of strange, tingly balm. "I can't remove the marks on your shoulder, so you'll still have to cover up, but a room full of vampires will know you're injured and I doubt you want to explain why." Adam was sad to see the marks go, but they could always be put back, and even if she could have removed them Adam wouldn't give up the claiming scars on his shoulder for anything. "Fair enough, but I still think this was a trick to get my clothes off." Ingrid smirked as he stood in the middle of her room, clad only in boxer shorts as he waited for the healing to kick in. "Save it for the shower, you're on Erin watch from sunrise to sunset." "I know, that's why you woke me at four in the morning. After not letting me sleep until gone midnight." "I don't remember a single word of complaint until now." He couldn't argue with that, Ingrid was easily worth lost sleep and he had lived on less for months when they were... apart.

Watching the mirror Ingrid no longer had use for, he could see the bruises, the tracks of Ingrid's nails and teeth in his skin fading. The scars grew fainter but didn't disappear, faint lines marring his skin from the first time Ingrid and he were together, and many times since. "I'm as healed as I need to be, now lets get this weird smelling stuff off me." His heart skipped as Ingrid stripped, leading him to the shower and teasing at his skin but not marking. "Happy anniversary." Ingrid looked at him strangely for a moment, though it melted into a small but genuine smile as he explained. "First time we met, last Halloween. It's been one hell of a year." "And from here to next Halloween even more will change. Your little hybrid baby, your transformation. Oh, and your future as the most powerful vampire ever."

Shrugging on clean clothes and taking the last moments to hold Ingrid tightly until the others started waking, Adam brushed a kiss over her cheek. "I still don't see it, I don't feel like a strong and powerful vampire." "Well, the fancy hat says you are. And even with your crazy obsessive studying, learning fifteen years of vampirehood in three months and passing your test so well says we aren't wrong about you. Suck it up." "That could be a vampire joke or a gay joke. Who knows." Ingrid pinched his arm as she sat up, inclining her head upwards. "Ryan?" She nodded, kissing him softly before blurring up to the throne room. Checking his watch, he had little doubt Ryan was awake early for something unrelated to sleep problems. Sighing and checking there was no evidence of Ingrid on his skin aside from the faded bruise on his neck - he begged off healing that one as Ryan thought Erin had done it anyway, and Adam was going to cover it before they went to the Giles residence.

Stepping into his slippers, a necessity in this drafty castle, Adam took himself upstairs. "Erin?" "Still asleep." Rolling his eyes at Ryan for leaving a nine month pregnant girl alone, he hurried up to check on her. She was indeed still asleep, and Ryan's things were all over the place. "Three nights, how can one person make this much mess?" Tidying them away and dumping Ryan's clothes into the laundry, Erin started stirring and he couldn't help smiling as her hands moved to her stomach before her eyes were even open. "Happy Halloween my favourite slayer." "Thought that was Jonno." "Sassy this morning?" Erin merely grumbled in reply, and Adam didn't think telling her she was cute when she first awakened was going to help his case. "I am so many kinds of uncomfortable, if I could move that much I would inflict serious pain on you. And not in the way you like." Feeling rather brave for attempting it, Adam sat next to her on the bed. "I know. And I will never be able to word how much I love you, and how proud I am of you for getting through all this."

"Stop being sweet and wonderful, it makes it hard to be mad at you." Chuckling as Erin leant against him sleepily, Adam rubbed at the sore part of her back. "Want help taking a shower? In the most helpful and unsexual way possible if that lessens your desire to kill me a little." Erin nodded, letting him help her undress and wash, and he even won an actual non-murderous smile when he helped do her hair. "Still off your food?" She nodded in agreement, while he had no frame of reference Ingrid said pregnant vampires didn't hold food down the last few days of pregnancy, and Erin had thrown up twice two days ago, so they guessed that was true for her. "Water or juice?" "Mmm. Both." Handing her a bottle of water, Adam whistled down to the vampires. "Need a lift?" "Thanks Ryan."

Ryan carried his sister down the stairs, and Adam bagged up the clothes he would need to change into, made sure his and Erin's phones were fully charged and followed them down. A trip to the kitchen for his coffee and Erin's juice and Adam was sitting to support Erin's comfortable leaning position. "What am I supposed to do while you guys are off playing happy families?" "We are keeping Erin safe, it's not like a day trip with a picnic. Plus, Erin can't eat, I don't really eat and my mother snd George would not appreciate Ingrid eating them. As for you. Have fun. Find an outfit for tonight. Sleep. Indulge a secret love of knitting or daytime Tv." Ryan rolled his eyes, glaring at Adam for a moment before disappearing. "Do you think it was the picnic joke or the knitting?" Ingrid shrugged, no doubt not hugely interested in Ryan's comings and goings unless she was the one instigating them.

Feeling his phone vibrate, Adam looked to see a text from George. "Assuming I reply to say we are awake, they'll be here within the hour - apparently the Branaghs are out buying Halloween costume stuff that Robin accidentally set fire to." "Oh yes, I'm sure it was an accident." Ingrid was right on that, Adam could only imagine what they had tried to get Robin to wear. Answering to say they were all awake, he left Ryan to keep Erin comfortable and went to pack up her bottles of juice, ensuring she had as much as she could possibly need until the party ended, assuming that Erin didn't start giving birth while he was being 'presented', and Adam was beginning to feel certain that would happen. They sat in relative quiet until they heard the car outside. "Time to go get you out of harms way." A half dozing Erin grumbled as he helped her stand. "How do you want to do this?" Ingrid rolled her eyes, blurring into bat form and curling up in one of the bags.

"That works. Ryan, Erin's got her phone so you can get hold of us. We'll be back before the party starts." Ryan nodded, hugging Erin carefully and flitting off. "Lets go then." Pulling on one bag and lifting the other, Adam watched Erin walk (Ryan had made the error of saying she waddled with her bump and Erin had threatened to put garlic on his food) slowly to the door. George was at the door, looking at Erin's bump with wide eyes then leaping to hug Adam. "Missed you too munchkin, lets get this covert operation done with, before Ingrid fries in the sun or Erin fries me." His little sister chuckled, taking the bag he was holding and skipping over to the car. "Hey mum. Thanks for this, you have no idea how much this means to me." Erin was settled in the front seat as it had enough space, so George sat poking Adam across the back seats on the drive to the Giles house.

Helping Erin inside and carefully depositing his very pregnant girlfriend on the sofa, Adam handed her the bag full of juice and sat rubbing her bump. "No movement yet?" "No, which gives me some hope junior is hanging in until after the party, though right now that doesn't sound appealing." "Junior?" George was hovering, watching Adam watch Erin. "We don't know if its a boy or girl, so junior is just what we call the baby for now. Erin thinks it's a boy though, and I think its a girl." "Dracula had a girl first, mum had a boy. And Erin and Ryan are twins. So really, there's no clear way to guess. Oh wow imagine if it was twins!" "George! Calm down!" Erin looked very unhappy at the idea of twins. "If you put twins in me I am staking you on your sixteenth birthday. Maybe before." Grinning cheekily at her regardless, Adam held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, the twin thing would be from you, not me. Ow!" Erin had thrown an empty bottle at him with unerring accuracy, much like Ingrid would.

"Oh bats. Ingrid!" Adam moved to close the curtains, then opened his bag and a rather irate vampire materialised. "That's so cool!" "Sorry Ingrid, I was in fear for my life." "I heard. I like this one." George grinned at the compliment, happy someone enjoyed her winding him up. Ingrid did too, just in a different way half the time. "Mum, were you this big with Adam? Because he was a tiny runty thing. Well, he still is." "Thanks George, love you too." George grinned cheekily. His mother looked surprised to be included in the conversation, but smiled to herself and wandered off. They all sat exchanging looks of confusion, but then she came back. "Don't laugh, I ditched the goth phase after you were born son." A small photo was held out to the three teens and George, Sally Giles 'goth phase' still clear in her dyed black hair and white face paint.

"I thought dad was joking when he said you could have passed for a vampire. That's quite impressive." Adam and George were chuckling, having not seen much of the pictures from back then. "I was about eight months along then, and I'd say Erin's smaller than I was at full term." Erin looked at the photo with wide eyes, cradling her stomach with both hands. "He is fine and all, but I don't know how you did this twice, let alone bigger than this. I feel like I'm carting a pumpkin up my shirt." Presuming that was at least partly inspired by the pumpkin staring at them from the kitchen, Erin and Ingrid literally pushed him towards the big orange thing. "Come on ghost boy, still any good at making Jack o lanterns? Is that a secret vampire skill?" Shrugging and turning with George to look at Ingrid quizzingly, Adam didn't know. "Definitely not, dad ends up flaming them in frustration."

A surprisingly family-fun hour was spent with his mum and George, gutting and carving a pumpkin and having to shower again when George dumped half the pumpkins innards on his hair. "I'm supposed to be getting presented as the ultimate vampire leader tonight, how am I supposed to impress anyone when my hair is a pumpkin scented mess?" Scrubbing at his hair with a towel, Adam mock scowled at his little sister. "I'll fix your hair half breed" Adam half expected that to be after Ingrid had tugged at it until it was even messier "I'm not getting staked because they don't believe you're 'the chosen one'." "Thanks for the concern." He could see her mouth twitching with a smile, he made no effort to hide his as though it were a normal sibling moment. Erin took a nap across his lap, the baby still fairly stationary beneath his hand and Ingrid amusing George and concerning their mother, hanging from the doorframes as a bat to pass the time.

"The sun is going to set soon. I really really don't want to leave." Erin flicked his ear, laughing as he helped in pain. "Go. The last thing we need is them tearing up Stokely to find you." "What if the baby comes while I'm stuck there?" "What are we, chopped brains on toast?" Looking up from Erin to George, Adam raised an eyebrow. "Given that you were born in a hospital, I'm guessing that we can take Erin there too? So everyone here has a mobile phone, one of us will text you and tell you if it's going down. Once you're clear to leave, hitch a speed ride from a vampire. Or fly. That's way cool. I think I like Ingrid more than I like you now." Squeezing George in a hug until she squealed, Adam budged her. "Behave or I might have to reassign favourite sister." "You wouldn't!" Ruffling her hair affectionately, Adam moved to kiss Erin softly then ducked and kissed the bump. "Stay safe you two. I'll be back as soon as humanly and vampirically possible." Standing and hugging George, Adam stood before his mother. "Thank you. For keeping them both safe for me. I know how you feel about all of this."

She pulled him into a hug and he felt her tearing up slightly. "Like George said, part of the family now. Of course I'll keep them safe." "Well, Erin will only need water, sleep or help standing for the bathroom. Other than that, try not to irritate her George." "Would I do such a thing?" "Yes you would you little terror." "Vampires honor. Even if I'm not a vampire." Ingrid was stood watching the sky darken, indicating they should get going. "All powerful vampire. Irony of being the chosen one with no choice in the matter." "Stop whinging, vamp up. The sooner you accept it, the quicker you can impress those council members and get back to panicking like every other teen boy who knocks up their girlfriend." "Shut up, I hate when you're right." The humans were watching the two with amusement. "You wouldn't know they hadn't had years of practice as fighting siblings." Ingrid smirked over at them, baring her fangs and Adam would bet it was because they couldn't see his eyes darken with desire as she did so. "This is nothing, vampire sibling rivalry usually involves death matches. Now as much fun as this isn't, we can't be late. If you keep dawdling I'm going to drag you along regardless. Erin, try to hold the critter in so he doesn't have a total meltdown."

"Charming. Assuming you don't hear from us because the 'critter' starts escaping, let us know when the party is wrapping up." "I will. I love you." "I love you too. Now go, the sun has already set." Erin was the only one to know why they were leaving at dark rather than later, and Adam appreciated her telling them to leave regardless more than he could word. "Hold on tight." Ingrid's arms wrapped around his waist and the world blurred away, returning in the form of an empty dark room. "Is this... Did you break into Stokely Grammar?" "Where else is empty at this time? Unless you want Ryan watching? Now shut up." Dropping his bag, Adam let Ingrid tug his clothes off and press him into the wall, sucking a deep bruise over his heart before kissing him. "Couldn't even wait a day to mark me up again?" Ingrid's eyes flashed red in the dark room, sinking her fangs into his shoulder as he pushed her clothes away. "Wait. The school isn't empty, the Halloween disco is less than five minutes walk from us here."

"Most people don't know we're both Draculas, and the doors locked. Now stop talking." Adam was only too happy to comply, letting Ingrid pin him to the desk to straddle his hips. If he listened hard enough he could hear the music from further away, though his attention was rapidly diverting to focus solely on Ingrid as they melded together. She ran her tongue over the holes in his shoulder before he could put his shirt on, and he watched as they healed over in amazement. The scars were still there, hidden as he buttoned up his shirt and waistcoat. "Purple? Thought it wasn't your colour." Scowling as he fumbled with his the, he knew she knew exactly why he had worn it. "You like it. And I have to admit I like the idea of you wanting me with so many others around. My jacket and cape are still in my room, so we should land there when we get back." Shoving his day clothes in his bag, he checked his phone and felt a mixture of worry and relief there was no message yet. "She's going to be fine Adam. Now come on, time to be Vladimir Dracula."

"Bloody Chosen One." Ingrid did indeed smooth down his hair, saying he would 'do' and tugging him by his tie to kiss him again. "Yes, your makeup is fine. Of course you look perfect. Lets do this thing." Ingrid smirked as he answered her questions preemptively, holding him tight and jumping again. When the world stopped spinning, he was back in his tower room, and he felt his heart stop at the dark stare of Ryan fixed on the two of them. "Does Erin know she's knocked up by the sick bastard who screws around with his sister?" Holding an arm out to stop Ingrid doing something he would regret, Adam stepped forward. "Yes. She's known for a while, she knew before we did. So did you, but I wiped it from your mind." Wondering why he had never thought to do it before, Adam dug for the energy inside him. He could almost feel the light in his eyes as he held Ryan's gaze, waiting for the half fangs eyes to go glassy before he spoke. "Ingrid and I are just brother and sister. Nothing more." Clicking his fingers, Adam braced himself as they waited. "Why am I in here?" "I think you wanted to borrow a tie. Here." Tossing Ryan a green tie from the pile of discounted ones, he let out a sigh of relief as Ryan disappeared.

"Fuck. I really hope that doesn't mean the mind wipe from May is going to start wearing off on everyone." Sitting down heavily on his bed, anxiety sparked in his chest as he looked up at Ingrid. "I doubt it, if the humans remembered they would faint when they saw us together. I think he's just been watching us too closely, though admittedly I don't know why we didn't hypnotize him before." Retrieving his jacket and cape from his wardrobe, Adam looked in the mirror at himself. "Because Erin asked me not to. It falls under her "I'm understanding but don't get carried away", she is not going to be happy when I tell her I had to." "Don't tell her?" Sighing as he tried to fasten the accursed cape, he turned to look at Ingrid. "I can't lie to her, I won't. Don't get me wrong, she's not perfect but neither am I. But she has gone above and beyond getting past us, I'm not going to betray that. She deserves better than that."

Ingrid didn't look impressed but nodded, taking pity on him and doing up his cape for him. "Why do you have to be so... human?" "Because special vampire or not, that is always going to be part of me." Rubbing at his chest where Ingrid had left a bruise, he caught her eyeing his beating heart before his watch beeped. "Ten minutes to go, best go put your best cape on. And I have to figure out how to hold my own in a room full of powerful, moody vampires." "You live here, you've got previous." Ingrid flitted away to finish getting dressed up herself, and Adam made sure to rub aftershave along his neck and wiped his hands down his clothes - they may still be able to detect Ingrid's scent on him. Squaring up to his reflection, Adam tightened his jaw. "Right. Vladimir Dracula. Chosen One. I can do this." The knot in his chest tried to say otherwise, but Adam clenched his fist until his nails left imprints in his palm, the old pain just enough to keep his balance. He had never wanted to leave his tower less, the steps seeming like a dark corridor to danger. Phone tucked inside his jacket, he was as ready as he would ever be.

The Count landing in his room almost stopped his heart early, not quite prepared for the surprise entry. "Ready my son?" "Not one bit. Lets do this." "You don't need to do much, just act as evil and impressive as I and point out you are their superior." Supposing he could always draw on the cold act he had used with that examiner before, he dug down to the darker part he could feel simmering under the surface at times. "I'm good. Down we go." His father held out an arm, flitting Adam down to the throne room. Blinking in surprise, there was a band, food and drink he wanted never to touch and more cobwebs, dust and dirt everywhere. "This is how vampires party? Lovely." "Oh yes! Count Dracula is ever a good host." "You would be better as dust for the floor father dear." Ingrid ascended from her crypt room, flawless makeup and outfit only there to frame the pefect work of art she already was. "Stand up straight Vladdy, vampires don't slouch." Rolling his eyes at Ingrid for the nickname, he still straightened himself up and tried to mimic the impassive, bored expression vampires tended to.

There were sounds of screeching, many wings flapping as the clock chimed eight, and he caught Renfield scuttling to the doors. Within seconds, the room was full of a couple dozen new vampires, a few he vaguely recognised from the slayer face off that turned his life over six months before. Forcing himself to stand still and straight, he could feel many eyes on him. "This is the chosen one, the Dracula hair? Doesn't look like much." Remembering the surprise of Ingrid and the Count before, Adam hissed in warning. Thunder crackled overhead, and a couple of the vampires jumped. "Watch your tone or I will dust you for your insolence. If anyone here doubts my position, they are more than welcome to die for their idiocy by trying on the crown of power. Any takers?" The crown sat on it's ceremonial cushion, waiting for Adam to pick it up. "Damn right I doubt it! I'll be the grand high vampire!" A pale, overweight and bearded vampire bared his fangs, picking up the crown and placing it on his head with a high laugh. His joy didn't last long, his body seeming to separate atom by atom all at once as he crumbled to dust.

Stepping forward, Adam picked up the crown and made a show of dusting it off. "Anyone else fancy dicing with dusting?" There was a murmur of compliance, and then the vampires were all lining up. Ingrid whispered quickly they were in clan order, leader and blood-spouses side by side. "That's what I thought. Now, if everyone is done being disrespectful, I believe this is a party. Don't bother approaching me unless you're important, otherwise have fun!" Dropping the crown back on its cushion, Adam sat on the Counts throne with a smirk that was masking the cold dread filling his body, nausea and panic fighting it out in his gut. The Count stood in front of Adam like a large guard dog in black and yellow, which effectively hid his checking his phone. Still no message, but at least the introductions were done with. Ingrid offered him a drink, with a polite bow but her face was fire and amusement as she did so, compliant service feigned for their audience.

"Let him pass, if he's wasting my time then you can dust him." His father chuckled, then glared as a man with greying hair that belied his youthful face bowed to Adam. "Your Grandness. I'm your second in command if you will, Ustrel Bouderon. I lead the council in your absence until you come of age." "If you say so. Any major law changes will go through me now. You can report to me through mail, I don't mind making you wait." He could see greed and corruption in the man's eyes, Adam didn't trust this vampire any further than George could throw him. "Of course sir, thank you for your time." The sarcasm was faint, but it was definitely there. Waving him off before nerves got the better of him, Adam was sure his night would only get more tedious. By the time midnight approached, he could feel the restless energy of the vampires as they eyed him carefully and looked out the windows longingly. "You've had your fun. Take your leave. You can irritate me again when I come of age next year, but for now you can go take care of yourselves, try not to mess that up too much. Oh, and anyone found to have gone hunting in the local village will be my first test subject for how fast garlic makes you explode. Off you go."

"You order us around, let Count Corovox be dusted but you haven't even put on the crown to prove your claim! I should tear out your throat you impudent little upstart!" Pushing himself upright with a weary sigh of boredom, Adam stepped towards the table. "Be glad I decided to humour you rather than have you staked - it won't happen again." The tingling of the crown in his hand, a missing part of himself filled his body as he lifted it to his head, feeling the eyes of everyone in the room on him as he lowered it into place. Raw power flowed through him, crackling between his fingers and burning in his eyes. "Satisfied?" The voice that left his mouth was deep, rough, accompanied by thunder and lightning outside. The vampiress who had questioned him was now kneeling on the ground, eyes downcast. Pulling the crown off before he felt light headed and giddy with power, Adam indicated the doors. "Get up, you pathetic creature. I do believe I dismissed you all."

There was a flurry of movement, screeching and bat wings flapping as the vampires left. "Clear?" The Draculas nodded, so Adam wrestled off his cape and jacket and dug out his phone. Still no message, so he worked out a plan. "I'm going to go change, then I'm going to see Erin. If I think any more about tonight and how nervous I was I'm going to hurl. Fuck vampire parties are both dull and stressful. You guys go crash in your coffins if you like, you've all been up all day." "So have you." The hypnosis was holding clearly, as Ryan wasn't looking at Adam in abject horror like he had been earlier. "I've gone a lot longer on a lot less sleep. I'll be fine, and I'll let you know how Erin is." "Thanks. I am gonna hit my coffin, I'm beat." Ryan flitted off, and Adam waited to see what the others were doing. "Renfield! Clean up this mess. I'll be in my coffin." "Immediately master!" Renfield hurried to sweep up the glittering dust pile of dead vampire, so Adam looked to Ingrid and inclined his head up just a little.

She nodded, flitting off to presumably change out of her cape and what not. Heading to his room, Adam kicked off his boots and has just got his tie off when Ingrid returned. They didn't get as far as words or undressing, fumbling with waistbands and zippers, claiming each other with a burning need and desire. "You would think we would have learned to at least lock the door after the incident with Ryan earlier." Ingrid shrugged at him, watching him change out of formal attire to casual clothes. "Everything felt a little too easy tonight, but I don't know if that's anxiety or sense talking." "Could be both. Any word?" Adam glanced at his phone again, and had a horrified moment of realisation. "No. But that could be because my phone is on bloody airplane mode. Damn touch screens! Erin only has my number, same for mum and George." Fumbling to switch it off so his signal would kick in again, his heart hammering in his chest, Adam practically bounced on the spot. He didn't get past the first message of "it's happening, meet us at the hospital when you can" from his mum before he was about to run out the door. "Its much quicker if I take you?" Stopping short, Adam hadn't considered Ingrid wanting to come with him. "Are you sure?" "Hang on for the ride bat brain." Shoving his phone in his pocket, Adam let Ingrid pull him along to where hopefully Erin was alright.

-VAI-

 **Not meant to be an evil cliffhanger... Just a good place to end the chapter of course!**


	20. Happy Halloween

**Not my characters.**

 **Got a little sidetracked and spent two days writing a Vlad/Malik thing when I was meant to be writing this... Oops. Sincere apologies, but I'm back now!**

 **In case it's been so long you have forgotten everything - Adam has just departed for the hospital where Erin is in some stage of labour.**

 **As a side note, much love to NightOwl for helping me when I was panicking about baby names before!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Landing a short walk from the hospital (to avoid being caught appearing out of nowhere on CCTV) Adam assumed Ingrid would be close by as he dashed into the car park. "Calm down half breed, you need to know where you're going." Ingrid pointed at the sign, though he couldn't see what he was meant to be looking for. Ingrid rolled her eyes and pulled him along, both of them looking even paler under stark hospital lights as they entered the building. Still in a state of mild panic, Adam jumped as someone asked what they were looking for. "My brother is an idiot, apologies. His girlfriend is apparently somewhere giving birth, probably accompanied by a mother type and a hyperactive bundle of curls." "Name?" "Erin. Erin Noble." The middle aged receptionist looked down at a book of some kind, answering with what he thought were directions. "Thanks." he managed to stutter out before going in search of them. He found his mum and George stood in a hallway, looking exhausted but happy.

"Sorry, the party didn't stop until gone midnight and then I discovered my phone had turned on airplane mode just to make my life a little spicy. Where is she? Is everything ok? What did I miss?" Ingrid clapped a hand over his mouth to shush him, which amused George greatly. "Everything is fine. Erin's sleeping, threatened your life every five minutes but mother and baby are doing fine." Nodding at his mum and trying to dislodge Ingrid's hand from his face, he didn't know where to go first. "Three minutes before midnight, Halloween baby after all." Sagging in relief that nobody was panicked, he felt a little less anxious. "Boy or girl?" George jumped up and grabbed his wrist, pulling him along. "Come meet them." He had a pang of sadness for passing on his genes as he went into the neonatal ward, his little sister leading he and Ingrid to an incubator. "She's going to be fine, just like you son."

Adam barely registered his mother talking, a powerful rush of love filling him as he looked down at the tiny creature. "She?" "Yep, Adam is the proud father of a new baby daughter." A nurse came over to the group of them, no doubt noticing Adam's awestruck look. "You're the father then?" Adam nodded, unable to tear his eyes away yet. "Is she ok?" "Underweight, warming lights, low pulse and struggling to breathe on her own? She's a fighter." "He was exactly the same, it was a month before he could come home but he's fine now." The nurse smiled in the corner of his eye, indicating Adam could touch a tiny hand with his finger. A surprisingly firm grip closed around it, and Adam felt tears choke up in his throat. "Sorry for the bad genes baby girl." "No name yet?" "No, I need to talk to Erin before we decide that." George nodded, grabbing their mother and pulling her away. "We'll go check in on Erin, you stand there and stare like a mindless goon." "Cheers George."

Ingrid squeezed his shoulder with a smile, surprisingly cheery for a girl looking at her... He wasn't sure boyfriend was the word, but his other girlfriends child. "She looks like you." "I'm not that skinny anymore am I?" "Sorry, who are you?" Adam finally looked over at the nurse. "This is my sister." "I thought the others were your mother and sister." "Different mother. Long story." The older he got, the more apparent it was that he and Ingrid looked like siblings, and the less he looked like George. The nurse nodded, noting down something on a chart and leaving Adam to stare avidly at his daughter. It was half an hour before Ingrid intruded on his reverie, pointing out she had to leave before the sun came up. "Right. Can you tell Ryan for me? I don't know when I'll be back." Ingrid nodded, hugging him and brushing a kiss over his cheek out of view of the nurse before leaving. "So is there a history of genetic problems in your family? The others weren't quite sure about your father's side." Unable to answer honestly, Adam shrugged.

"I just know I was tiny, I didn't know my father until this year. And in all honesty, this little angel wasn't actually planned. Not that it matters, she's perfect." He didn't bother wiping the tears from his cheeks, certain more would come as he watched his half vampire side cause his child to fight for survival. His mum and George reappeared soon after, hugging Adam and his mum promising to come check on him in the morning but George needed sleep. "Yeah. Thanks so much for getting her here and everything, I was going out of my mind worrying." "Its what families are for son. She's beautiful by the way." Adam simply nodded, emotions thick in his throat making words stick. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon before anyone disturbed him again, the new shift of nurse's smiling at him staring. One even handed him a coffee, which was a welcome hit of caffeine for his fried nerves. "I presume you'll be coming along, the mother is awake." Jumping up and tossing the paper cup in the bin, Adam anxiously followed the incubator back to Erin's room.

"You made it?" "Yeah, you were asleep so I spent the night with our baby girl." Ducking to press a kiss to Erin's forehead, Adam smiled at her. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here, my phone decided to switch to airplane mode and the thing didn't end until after midnight so I would have missed it anyway, apparently she was eager to be a Halloween birth?" Erin nodded, pain and exhaustion still written on her face as she pushed herself to sit up. Helping her drink down a glass of water, he sat next to her bed and laced their fingers together. "I'm so proud of you, she's beautiful." "Alright, you're forgiven. Mostly because you didn't make the monumental mistake of waking me. Get me pregnant again and you're dead. I love you." A nurse chuckled nearby as she came to check on Erin, undoubtedly used to such things with new parents. "She's got your hair, not that you can see it under the hat and blankets." Peering at the tiny face, Adam thought his heart night stop early when they asked if they wanted to hold her.

"Erin first, she's the one who did the hard work." A huge bundle of blankets wrapped around a tiny face was placed in Erin's arms, and Adam had never thought her more beautiful as she smiled down at the baby. "Have you two settled on a name yet?" "I chose for a boy, Adam chose for a girl because we didn't know what we were having." "I picked two, so want to flip a coin then tell me you prefer the other one anyway?" Erin smiled, telling Adam to get on and choose. "Erika Ana Noble, welcome to the world." Adam made sure to spell them out, much to the nurse's confusion. "I'm half Romanian, we opted to give the baby names with both our initials but I chose Romanian names." Erika had actually been pointed out as a joke from Ingrid as it meant "ruler forever" - fitting for the Chosen Ones first born. Adam had fell in love with the name, and now he had seen her he didn't think the other option - Eveline Anica - suited her as much. "Might get confusing since your dad keeps calling me Eric, but I agree. Its perfect." "She's perfect. You're perfect." Adam got his turn to hold Erika next, feeling terrified as much as excited. She looked so fragile and tiny, a little gurgling whimper the only sound she made shifting in his arms.

He almost refused to give her up but knew the incubator was the right place for her, though he went right back to touching her tiny hand when she was settled again. He panicked slightly when they put a tube in his daughter, but the very patient nurse soothed his concerns by saying it was to feed her - she was too small to nurse or suckle yet. "Please excuse him, he has anxiety problems and a tendency to panic." Pouting at Erin but not arguing the truth, Adam excused himself to seek more caffeine and stretch his legs after sitting still for hours at Erika's cotside. "You better not start running on stuff other than food and sleep, like you used to, I'm still not certain you're ever allowed near me again after last night." Smirking into his coffee Adam shrugged. "No, Ingrid woke me at 4am to patch me up for the party, and then unfortunately my... subjects like the night time and then I realised my phone had done a thing and then I got the text saying this was happening. And then you got some well needed sleep and I stared lovingly at Erika. So I need coffee." "Good save ghost boy."

Looking at his phone again, he realised he had multiple messages detailing Erin's various threats on his life or physical anatomy from George, and one just before midnight to say it was over. "No phones near the equipment young man." A stern doctor glared at Adam as he checked a nearby monitor, so Adam quickly turned off and pocketed his phone. "Sorry." Erin looked like she was thinking about something for a moment before looking at his t-shirt covered chest. "Patch you up?" Checking nobody was looking, Adam lifted up said t-shirt. "I was pretty... Roughed up this week and she said they would notice so she put this stuff on me. Most of my scars are gone, except my shoulder and all my bruises vanished." "Its almost strange to see you like such a blank canvas. Like the last year has been wiped away." "I wouldn't want it to be, it's been rough but it got us here. Plus, she made a start in replacing them." Erin raised an eyebrow in query, so Adam pulled his collar down to show the bruise on his chest. "Still, a lot is about to change, this is kind of a new start." Looking at Erika clutching his finger, Adam smiled. "That's not always a bad thing."

-VAI-

 **Short but you know, there's only so much I could drag out the baby chapter. Credit to NightOwl for Ana, and inspiring me to trawl Romanian baby name sites! Now to go get started on Chosen Two update until I fall asleep.**


	21. Helping Hands

Not **my characters!**

 **So, we made it to the birth. I did not expect it to take twenty chapters, but then I write too much I think.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

By the time George and their mum came back to feed him and check on Erika (and coo over her name), Erin was well enough to get up and about. A moment of her getting her clothes changed showed she did already have Adam's darker hair, and Adam thought he would melt there and then when Erika opened her eyes at last. There wasnt a force in the world strong enough to convince Adam from standing to look at his daughter for hours on end, and when Ingrid returned in the evening to try and convince him to sleep, he argued both girls into Erin going back to clean up and get some rest. "I did this to her, I can't leave her." Ingrid's face softened slightly, and Erin finally agreed. "Ryan is going to want to see you're ok anyway. The nurse said I can charge my phone in the day room, so I can stay in touch. Go. Shower, sleep, clothes. I'll go tomorrow, promise. One thing I can do is go without sleep." Neither of them looked impressed with the reminder, but after they both looked in on Erika (even Ingrid looked a little bit struck with the tiny girl), Adam exchanged goodbyes with them both and they left.

"How old are you son?" Looking up from his seat next to the incubator, Adam found one of the nurses holding out coffee. "Don't worry, nothing you say will surprise us here." "Fifteen. We were careful, it just isn't 100% I guess." That was mostly true, so Adam stuck with that story. "I've seen teen boys leave in minutes, neither your girlfriend or your family could shift you. Got an old head on those young shoulders." "I guess. I loved her the minute Erin told me she was pregnant, out of everyone I was the least anxious and the most excited. I just wish she didn't get my problems, I hate seeing her like this because of my genes." Sipping the rapidly cooling coffee, Adam resumed staring at Erika. A gentle hand squeezed his shoulder, oddly comforting. "You pulled through, and she has got you in her corner. Try to get a map in if you can, I'll wake you if she needs you." Adam knew he wouldn't sleep, he hadn't slept alone in months now, and the last thing he needed was to have one of his nightmares in the hospital. Another coffee later, they offered to let Adam carefully hold her for a few minutes again, so Erika could get her early bonding time in.

"Is she breathing on her own already? I thought she was struggling?" Erika's little chest was rising and falling steadily as she was put back in her warming lights range. "We have oxygen nearby and keeping a close eye on her, but it seems so. Told you, she's a fighter." Erin reappeared an hour before sunrise with Ryan, who wanted to see the baby. "This is Erin's brother" Adam introduced the half fang to the nurse who was his secret caffeine dealer in the night now, who was now amused by Adam's story and the various flavours of family he had, especially between Ingrid and George. Ryan had to leave before light trapped him, and both Nobles said Ingrid was dragging him home to shower and sleep that night because apparently he smelled. Chuckling as he hugged Erin, Adam was sure he would be on first name terms with every nurse on every shift at this rate as he bid the night shift nurses goodbye.

Ingrid did indeed drag him back to the castle that night, throwing him in the shower and making him need a new one when she pinned him to his bed, kissing him to incoherence and digging fangs and nails into his skin until Adam was shaking all over. "I love you" "Love you too. Idiot." smiling to himself at Ingrid's usual form of affection, he clung to her as he slept for a few hours and woke itching to get back to his daughter. "Better?" "Much. Thank you." "Lucky you two have vampires on hand, saves you a hell of a lot of travel time." "Mmm. I think I got more out of the trip home than Erin though." Ingrid smirked as he pressed their bare skin together again, pointing out he needed to shower soon if he wanted 'a lift' back to the hospital. He pulled her with him, making the most of what time he had with her. Dressing and changing his bed covers before Ryan could get suspicious again, Adam kissed Ingrid before letting her flit them to the hospital.

"What would you have called her if she was a he?" "Erin picked, but still Romanian and still both our initials - Adrian or Emil, she said it would depend on seeing him which was a better first name." Ingrid couldn't stay long, and neither she or Ryan could hold Erika while she still needed so much help staying warm, but she did offer her baby niece a smile before she left. "You look much more relaxed?" Erin's smirk told him she knew exactly why, her eyes tracing the torso that was no longer clear of marks. "I was too wired to sleep, she helped?" "Whatever you say. Quietly, before your new best friends come to coo over our little miracle." Adam nodded and shut up, kissing Erin in greeting and resuming staring at their daughter. "She is. I love her. As much as I wish she didn't have my genes, I can't believe she's so perfect. But then she has your genes too." Erin smiled up at him, squeezing his hand that wasn't touching Erika.

"Well I see how this happened, he's quite the charmer." "Morning Jenny." The young, dark haired nurse smiled, somehow translating beeping monitors and lines into information about babies. "Time to weigh her, see if she's big enough to try feeding properly." Adam had never felt such anticipation in his life as Erika was weighed, and then bundled up in a blanket and handed to Erin. "Are we going to have to feed her special stuff when she's back home? I don't remember, being a baby myself." "It'll depend how much weight she gains before she leaves." Nodding, Adam watched as the baby managed to drink by herself. And then vomit on herself, but apparently that was a normal thing. The nurses eventually sent the teen parents to take a walk, so they strolled around the hospital garden holding hands and sat on a bench. "Still not nervous?" "Kind of, mostly about the here and now of it, I just want her to be well enough to come home with us. Man, that sounds weird." Kissing Erin's temple, Adam took a minute to enjoy the contentment he felt with her. "I know, but I imagine your mum was twice as terrified when she didn't know why you were a scrawny little thing. And Erika is getting stronger faster than you did."

Sure enough, by the time Erika was a week old they could hold her more often, and even Ryan and Ingrid had tried with her wrapped in a blanket. George couldn't get enough of her, chattering a mile a minute to Erika until someone wrestled the blanket wrapped baby off her. "She might have my hair, and those are Giles' funny earlobes all over. But I think she looks like you." Erin nodded sleepily, not nearly as used to sleepless nights as him. "Go home tonight with Ryan, Ingrid will threaten me until I eat." She must have been tired, as she agreed more easily than he expected and let Ryan flit her back to the castle, leaving Ingrid to make sure Adam didn't fall into his old habits and almost totally burn out. "I should take up smoking, since everyone keeps telling me to go outside. Not like it's going to kill me, my lungs are about to be defunct in under a year." he mused as Ingrid -encouraged- him to leave Erika and get food and a walk. "You would smell so bad I would never come near you again." Adam chuckled as he finished his sandwich, drinking the bottle of water down and tossing his rubbish.

"Ingrid?" She looked up at him, a strange image as she had a straw in a bag of A+ blood she had lifted from the hospital. "What?" "Do you want children yourself?" In hindsight, he should have waited until she didn't have a mouthful of blood to spit over the floor. "What kind of question is that?" "Forget I asked." "Bit late for that." Shaking his head, Adam turned away from her. "I hadn't really thought about it before Erin got pregnant, but then it doesn't matter either way. We might try and pretend otherwise, but there are limits to what we can ignore." "That's why I asked. Looking at Erika, it's like this piece of my heart I didn't know was missing. And because of me, because I couldn't let you go, I'm taking that away from you." Having had a lot of time alone with his thoughts, this had kept coming back to him. "Adam. We are literally teenagers, and immortal. You're assuming a lot about the future." "I guess. But if Valentine's taught me anything, it's that there isn't much that will stop me loving you. Then again I'm not so full of myself to assume that is a mutual thing."

Ingrid's hand dug painfully into his scarred shoulder, turning him to face her. "If you really think that, you don't understand a thing." Ignoring that they were still technically in public, that anyone could see them, Adam didn't fight Ingrid kissing him roughly, nails sharp where she gripped him tightly. "You think" even Ingrid was panting as they broke apart, eyes bright in the moonlight "I would be doing this if I thought for a minute it wasn't going to last? Idiot." She kissed him again before he could answer, eyes fixed on his pulse point as they broke apart and his heart raced. When he tried to speak again, they were interrupted by his phone ringing. "Hello?" "I don't know where you got to, but you need to get back here now." Recognising the nurses voice, Adam cast one look at Ingrid before turning and running up to Erika. "What happened to you?" "What?" "You have blood around your mouth? Or you put lipstick on in the dark." Swiping his mouth, Adam remembered Ingrid spilling her... drink, trying to come up with a lie. "I fell, must have bust my gum. Why did you call me up?"

A tissue was pressed into his hand, and he would know Ingrid behind him anywhere as he wiped blood off his face. With any luck, she had known to not get caught with matching red on her face. Given that he was the one with a reflection, that was a little ridiculous. "Is Erika ok? Why did you call me?" "We can't understand it, she was doing better, off all the tubes but her heart rate keeps rising and her temperature is spiking." Scrubbing a hand through his hair, Adam moved back to Erika's crib side. "What do we do?" "Give her to me." Looking over at Ingrid, Adam's brain didn't quite click. "I run cold, and last I checked contact is good for them anyway." "I'm not sure that's right." Looking up at Naomi, his favourite night time nurse, Adam stopped her talking. "Its a family trait, we run cold. See?" The nurse was visibly surprised by his skin temperature - he had no comparison himself but now he wondered how Robin or Erin had never told him he was that cold. "Ingrid's mother was similar, she's colder than me". Ingrid looked a little lost as they handed Erika to her, especially as the baby was wailing and Ingrid had much more sensitive hearing. The effect was almost instantaneous, Erika calmed down and settled in minutes, and the monitor said her heart rate was lowering to normal. "Well, there's nothing wrong with her lungs." Adam chuckled through his tears now Erika wasn't burning up, taking her from Ingrid and noticing her minute hesitance.

"Thank you." "See, our genes have some uses." "Not what I meant." Ingrid knew what he meant, he was sure. The nurses hovered as Erika went back into her little baby bed, and nothing terrifying happened. He reached out and squeezed Ingrids hand, his heart still pounding with panic. "Impressive. We should hire your family, that was faster than any cool down technique and more effective." Ingrid looked at the nurse with obvious disdain, making Naomi laugh. "I don't like babies thanks, one time deal for my little brother here." Adam felt his heart constrict a little, a little overwhelmed by how much he loved Ingrid in that moment. Keeping his eyes on Erika rather than fix lovestruck eyes on Ingrid in front of everyone, Adam tried to relax. He saw it in Ingrid's eyes when she was holding Erika, not needing to finish their earlier conversation to know Ingrid wanted children, and that was something he couldn't, or at least shouldn't, offer her. Pushing that thought away, he said not to tell Erin until she was at the hospital, so she could see Erika was fine now. Hugging Ingrid goodbye made the guilt resurface, making him drink his coffee still steaming hot to burn the lump from his throat.

-VAI-

 **I've never used a vampire for it, but I run cold myself and I used to do this for my nephew when he got fevers. And then he would puke on me, babies are gross.**


	22. Loyalty Tested

**_Might_ have got a little sidetracked writing Favour. Its not finished but I figured I should update this and Chosen Two before I fall back to Favour.**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Erin was predictably annoyed they hadn't told her about Erika until she got back, even after Adam explained why. "She's fine now, look. They said if she keeps gaining weight and doesn't have another fever, we can maybe take her home next week." Adam kept trying to focus on the positives, but Erin could see the guilt writ on his face whenever he wasn't smiling. "Ingrid?" He nodded to her quiet whisper, but she knew better than to go deeper when there were so many people around. They took turns holding Erika, feeding her and Erin even talked him into singing to her, which won him coos from the nurses as she fell asleep to the sound of his voice. "Told you she liked it. I used to threaten him until he sang when she wouldn't settle, that girl could kick." "Careful, at this rate one of us is going to steal him away." Erin smiled cheekily, smoothing his hair out of his eyes. "He cooks and cleans too. And he's good with his little sister." "Erin, you sound like you're trying to sell me off. Can you stop?"

She kissed his pouting face, then kissed Erika in his arms. "I'm allowed to show off. So shut up and sing to the baby." "Why do I put up with you? You're so demanding." Regardless, he did go back to singing softly to the baby, full of love for the tiny child. When his mum and George turned up - It was lucky the nurses were all somehow charmed by him with the stream of visitors - Adam let Erin drag him out to eat and walk. "What happened with Ingrid?" Gulping down the fruit juice he was plied with, Adam felt guilt rise in his chest. "I asked her if she wanted children. I don't even know why I said it." "What did she say to that?" Resting his head in his hands, he could feel he needed a haircut by the way his hair hung down his eyes now. "She asked what kind of question it was to ask, then didn't give me a straight answer. Just brought up why she couldn't. Because of me. But I saw her, when she was holding Erika. I just, I don't know what to do."

Erin rubbed his shoulder soothingly, letting him have a minute to put his head back together. "I don't know why either of you put up with me, let alone everything else. You would both have been better off if I'd never moved to Stokely." "Adam, you seem to be forgetting Ingrid would be dust if you hadn't moved here. So would your father. And I wouldn't change having Erika for anything." Checking nobody else was around before he answered, Adam wiped away tears in his eyes. "Me either, but you're with a guy who's... With his sister. My dad turned your brother. Our daughter has almost died because she's half me. I have literally stolen away your chance at a normal life, and I'm taking the choice to have kids away from Ingrid as long as I'm around. My mother is only letting George near me so they can see Erika. I'm supposed to lead an entire race, I can't even hold my own life together. I'm an anxious wreck most of the time, I've screwed around and played with peoples feelings, sometimes I didn't even feel guilty for it. Everything I do seems to have bad consequences, I just... I don't know what to do."

He wasn't fighting the tears anymore, feeling them fall into his lap as his shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. Whatever else was going to spill out of him was stopped by his phone ringing, Ingrids name flashing on his screen. "Hello?" "Are you sure this infernal contraption is working half fang?" That was his father, talking to Ryan whilst calling him from Ingrid's phone. Naturally. "Hello?" "Ah yes, I hear it now. Where have you been?" "I'm at the hospital. Why are you calling me? And how did you get Ingrid's phone?" "I stole it, obviously." Adam didn't envy the Count when Ingrid found that out. "What are you still doing there?" "Erika isn't well enough to leave yet." "And?" "And I'm on hiatus or a break or whatever you call it from whatever else is going on until she is better. Why did you call? I need to get back." "Your tutor will be here tonight, which means you will be too." Growling in frustration, Adam tried to reign in his irritation before storm clouds appeared. "Fine. I'll trade off with Ryan when it gets dark. There had better be coffee."

He hung up before the Count could argue further, trying to master his anger. "What now?" "Dad stole Ingrid's phone, to inform me my new tutor is arriving tonight. So I have to be there. And he was being obtuse about me spending so much time here with Erika. Better get back." Erin didn't look ready to let him, but Adam was in no mood to talk about what he had just vented before the phone call and stood to dump his litter. "Coming?" "You're just going to leave that conversation?" "Yes, because I want to go see our daughter before I go pretend to be a together and stable vampire leader. I can be a teenage emo boy tomorrow." He regretted being short with Erin as soon as he spoke, but he was low on emotional and physical energy right now and figured he could make it up to her later. Heading back up, he got another hug off George and Cherie, the student nurse who spoke to him whenever she had a minute, handed him a tissue which reminded him his face was showing he had been crying.

"Thanks." "Its an emotional time, perfectly understandable." Wiping his face down, he intently ignored everyone around him in favour of taking his turn feeding Erika. Nobody dared disturb that, so he smoothly avoided the burning question of what he had been crying over until the sky started to darken. "Ingrid and Ryan will be here soon, so you guys better go or they won't let them in again." Whether his mum understood that meant something important or just that they needed to not crowd the neo natal ward with visitors, he had no idea but she and George both kissed Erika goodbye gently and left. "She's trying." "For Erika, and George. Not for me. I don't stop them seeing her, but she stopped me seeing George because of Erika to begin with. I'm not letting myself hope it will stay this way, that she will just forget how much of a disappointment I've been to her." Erin didn't talk again, until he heard her quiet whispers of "maybe you can talk some sense into him, he's not doing well today".

About to turn and argue, he realised Ingrid was there and guilt surged hot in his chest again, blocking his words. Leaning down to stroke Erika's cheek softly, Adam whispered goodbye and stepped back. "Lets go. I'll be back to trade off at dawn so you two can go home." He didn't wait for an answer, leaving the room before he started crying again. Adam distinctly heard Ingrid sigh in annoyance before she caught up with him, the grip on his arm bruisingly tight as she pulled him back to the castle. "Don't make me hypnotize it out of you, what is with you tonight?" "You can't hypnotize someone you're in love with. I need a shower and clean clothes, don't make me move you." Her shock at the way he was acting was palpable as he grabbed clean clothes and headed to the bathroom, letting hot water and 'energising' shower gel (a joke gift from Robin last year in jest of Adams terrible sleep pattern) wash away his exhaustion a little.

Clean clothes on, he made straight the way down to the kitchen and didn't move until he had one coffee in his body and a fresh one in hand. Ingrid didn't seek him out again, though he didn't blame her as he poured caffeine into his system and tried to remember it was "Vlad" now. Returning for a third cup with nobody to stop him fuelling solely on caffeine, he headed up to the throne room. "So where is this tutor?" "Behind you." Some part of him recognised the voice as he turned around, and recognition bolted through his mind. "Bertrand du Fortunesa?" "How did you know that?" "Much like the Count, I've had dreams about you. Pretty grim ones, did you really drink corpses on battlefields?" Surveying the tall, muscular and surprisingly not-pale vampire over his mug, Adam waited for an answer. "I was young, freshly turned and I had a tendency to over indulge. What are you drinking?" "Coffee."

Seeing as nothing was happening yet, Adam sat down to finish his drink. "Did you even meet this guy in person before you invited him here?" The Count shrugged and pulled his "oops but oh well" face, which Adam took to mean no. "Actually, yes. Count Dracula is the one who turned me." "Wait. Does that mean he's loyal to you?" "In a manner of speaking. My loyalty, my duty is to you Chosen One." Draining the last of his coffee, Adam stood up. "Dad, you have a stake handy?" "Always. Why?" Holding out a hand expectantly, Adam felt the weight of wood in his hand. "What are you doing?" "Testing your so called loyalty. Kneel down." Bertrand du Fortunesa gave him a very strange look, but stopped down to one knee. "My name is Adam Giles. Yeah, I'm this chosen one you're after. I'm also half human, untransformed, exhausted and my also half human daughter is in the hospital right now. So whatever you're here for, I'll do but at half an hour to sunrise, I'm leaving. And if you try to stop me, or out me, this pointy wood is going directly through your heart. Are we clear?"

"About the staking? Absolutely. Everything else, not so much." Gesturing the vampire could stand up again, the position a little too reminiscent of other situations for Adam to focus, he looked up to meet Bertrands eyes. "What do you want from me? Because you have about six hours." "I'm here to train you, and teach you. I've waited four hundred years knowing this was my future." "Then you won't mind agreeing not to bite any breathers? I'm not going to let you stay if it puts the people here in danger." Bertrand inclined his head in agreement, then turned to his bag and pulled out a very big book covered in bones. "And that is?" "Proof of your claim. If this book tells me you are who you say you are, then I'll tolerate your... Eccentricities. If not, your whole clan will be ashed for fraud. Vladimir Dracula, meet the Praedictum Impavar." Not really wanting his family destroyed but hardly in a place to argue as he had placed demands on this stranger from his dreams, Adam looked at the book. "What do I do?" "I don't know. Only the Chosen One knows." The book pulsed, minute vibrations in the air around it as he took a step closer and the bones, like fingers clasped around it, rattled. Reaching a hand closer, it reminded him of the crown, something that slotted into place with his powers, his body. "Well, lets see what this does" all three men watching closely, Adam placed a hand onto the cover.

-VAI-

 **Bertrand! I like Bertrand, he had pretty eyes and fluffy hair.**

 **Anyway, it's not huge but here's an update! Now to Chosen Two!**


	23. Juggling Acts

**Not my characters.**

 **Vl-Adam-Ir is almost done! (There may or may not be a sequel planned.)**

 **This isn't the last chapter, but that isn't far away. Everyone who has read this and Adam's Story - You make it all worth the writers block and painstaking writing!**

 **On we go!**

-YD-

The book shook beneath his touch, the fingers unclasping slightly and a bolt of blue light shot right into his chest, all his anxieties and exhaustion replaced by raw energy. "Well, that's a rush!" Bertrand and his father were both looking at Adam like he had grown another head, but when he looked down at himself he couldn't see anything different. "What?" "Your eyes, they've turned black!" Letting go of the book to look for a mirror, they shook their heads. "Its gone now. Touch the book again?" Feeling like a yo yo going back and forth, he placed a hand on the book cover again but nothing happened. "Well? Did I prove my claim or whatever?" "Yes, the book has not reacted to a single vampire since I found it. Not even me, except to tell me it needed the Chosen One." Shoving the book away, Adam fell into a chair and waited. "So now what? I'm untransformed, what exactly are you going to train me in?" "Combat. Logic. Meditation. Control."

"Alright, but I should warn you I suck at chess, and meditation sounds dull." "And I shall remind you, you gave me until half hour to sunrise. Shall we?" He had him there, Adam had said that. He didn't think he was capable of meditation, a natural fidget and a million things on his mind. "Fine. How do you want to do this?" "Is there somewhere comfortable for you to sit?" Adam shrugged, wondering if Ingrid was still in his room as he led the tutor up the stairs. "Welcome to my bat cave. Well, mine and Erin's." Bertrand was looking at the baby gear, a strange look on his face. "I've never met a dimidius before, the concept of an untransformed vampire procreating, its strange." "Well it happened. Are we doing this?" Ingrid wasn't in here, but she hadn't passed them in the throne room and he could smell the scent of her perfume in the air. Which meant she had probably flew out of his window, he wasn't sure if he hoped she would come back in time for the hospital trade off or whether he could avoid the guilt of seeing her and just walk or cycle there.

"If Ingrid's not back by the time we're done, mind giving me a lift to the hospital?" "You're not going to sleep?" "I can't sleep alone. And I don't sleep much anyway. Erika is more important. Is that a yes?" "If that's what it takes to get you training, yes." As he thought, trying to meditate was a pain in the neck, though Bertrand clearly had no trouble as he sat and relaxed opposite him. Trying just to sit still was harder than he expected, every time he thought he was on the right track a muscle would twitch. "Don't try to force it, meditation is about letting go." "I'm more a bottle it up and have nightmares kind of guy." Bertrand met his eyes, and he could see the gold shimmer of hypnosis in them. "Hypnosis? Really?" "A light trance, so you know what to look for." Adam let him do it, hoping for some kind of break in his head. "Now close your eyes. Don't think about trying to stay still, don't think about how much you would love to stake me right now. Just let your mind drift." This time, he almost felt it before his leg started cramping from the awkward position.

"I need a run, I've been pretty sedentary at the hospital and my muscles are all tight." Bertrand nodded, resuming his meditation so Adam shrugged to himself and started changing into his running gear. "What are those marks on your shoulder?" Trying not to panic as he pulled his shirt on before he turned around, Adam tried to play cool. "I have interesting predilections during sex. Problem?" Bertrand didn't believe him, he could tell. "Anyway, you're four hundred. Stop watching teenagers change." "As you wish." Shaking his head, Adam hurried out of the castle and drew in deep breaths, lungfuls of night air. He had missed running, having lacked both the time and energy lately. Not that energy was in great supply now, but the familiar feeling of running until his legs ached, his chest felt raw for breath, it was worth it.

When he got back to the castle, Bertrand was still in his room. "Shower, clean clothes and then I'll stick it out for the hour until I need to go?" "That is agreeable." Scrubbing sweat from his skin and throwing on clean clothes, Adam knocked back an energy drink from his 'Erin doesn't know' stash. "That smells revolting. What is it?" "Liquid gold. Energy drink, stronger than coffee but has a tendency to make my heart rate do crazy things if I have too many." Sitting back cross legged on his bed opposite the strange vampire, Adam tried again. He didn't make it right the way to trance like, but after a good run and shower, he managed to relax into the position and let his mind drift a little bit. "Not bad for a beginner. How long until you return from the hospital?" "Depends on Erin and Ingrid. Given the choice, I wouldn't move until Erika was coming home with me. Tonight, tomorrow day, tomorrow night. Who knows?" "I shall await your return. How long before the offspring is released?" "They think next week. Once she's home, I will spend all my time between training and her if I have to. But I'm not risking leaving her all the time when she's sick."

Bertrand seemed to think he was very strange, but four hundred years searching would not be thrown away for his "eccentricities", and a week was probably not long to wait when you were four centuries old. "Where's the hospital?" Thankful for his tower window, Adam could literally point it out in the distance. "There." Bertrand didn't even answer, grabbing his arm and flitting him there. "Do I need to wait?" "No. Ryan's here, he can do it. Thanks though. Please don't eat my girlfriend." Adam stretched out a kink in his neck, then headed into the hospital. The night receptionist was still on, greeting Adam as she had many times. "Back again?" "Can't stay away!" He kept going before she could comment on the utter state of him, exhaustion probably clear in his features. Climbing the steps to the neo natal ward, he was greeted by Ryan at the door. "No Ingrid?" "No, she went out last night and wasn't back. The new tutor gave me a lift. He seems above board, but don't leave Erin alone?" Ryan nodded, going to shake her awake in the chair by Erika's crib.

"Hey, how was tutoring?" "Dull. Sat on my bed trying to meditate, I could have been sleeping. You better get going, it'll be light soon." He let Erin kiss him, but his mind was solely on watching Erika by now and he thought Erin might have noticed he wasn't all that 'in it'. "I love you." "Love you too. Now go before Ryan explodes, terribly messy business." As soon as they rounded the corner, he sat back in the chair and looked at the baby. "Have you slept at all night stalker?" Donna wasn't Adam's biggest fan, though he had no idea why - he hadn't acted any differently to her than the other nurses. Maybe she had something against teen parents. "No, I can't sleep by myself and Erin was here." Erika was getting stronger by the day, no longer in need of her blankets as well as the warming lights. Her eyes were intelligent, and while he knew it was daft he still kept speaking to her, singing to her when he got to hold her and just generally in love with his baby girl.

For a tiny thing, she had a big appetite and Adam delighted in watching her drink down the bottles of formula to help her gain weight. "Counting down the days until you can take her home?" "Days? I'm practically counting the hours, I can't wait until she doesn't need all this anymore." Adam did a double take when his mind registered the voice, realising the sky was dark again and Ingrid was the one talking to him. More surprising was her holding out coffee, as she utterly detested the smell and taste since she turned, and hated Adam's tendency to refuse to sleep when there was caffeine. "Thanks." "They said you didn't move all day, figured you needed something in your system." Drinking the hot liquid gratefully, he nodded. "Probably. I didn't realise it was dark until I realised it was you." He wasn't sure it was the best thing to say, but Erika was due anyway. "Want to try feeding her? She likes you."

The baby still needed a blanket between her little body and Ingrid's icy skin, but Erika didn't wail unhappily like she did when Ryan held her for more than a few minutes, and even Ingrid looked a little bit enchanted as Erika drank her bottle. After she was winded, Adam put her back down and forced himself to stretch his legs, and he should probably eat. At this rate he would be on first name terms with the canteen staff - one of them already slipped him extra cookies and told him he was too thin. As they got outside, the garden as empty as ever at this time, Adam couldn't help asking "did you steal blood this time?", or laughing a little when Ingrid pulled out a blood bag and stuck a straw in it. "Why are you doing this?" "Eating?" Adam held up his sandwich in confusion. "No. This. Running yourself into the ground, pushing away your breather family, being a total dick to me and Erin, then trying to make me bond with the baby? I don't understand any of it."

Suddenly feeling too sick to finish his food, he dumped it in the bin and turned away from Ingrid. "Because I poison everything around me, and I don't know how to put it right." "I don't speak bad poetry, spit it out or suck it up." Remembering his minor meltdown with Erin before, Adam relayed the same vent to Ingrid. "I thought we were past this." "How can I be? I just let people down, when I'm not ruining their lives that is. I mean come on, Erin only accepts this because she knew before us and didn't say anything, it's guilt that makes her send me to your bed. If my mum and George ever found out they would have me arrested! You can try to deny it, but you wish I wasn't your brother. And I see it in your face, you want children and as long as you're with me, it's the worst idea since vampire sunbathing. How am I supposed to lead the vampire world? I can't even lead one life without screwing up!" Still not looking at her, for all he knew she had left part way through his ranting.

In all honesty, the fact Ingrid slapped him didn't surprise him all that much. The fact it was followed by her fingers twisting through his hair, her mouth on his, that surprised him. "Sometimes I'm not sure if I want to kiss you or kill you." "Am I not already dead? Undead?" "You're still half human, I'm sure I'll think of something." The next thing she thought of was pulling him away from the hospital, not that he had any idea where they were, nor did he care by the time Ingrid was done kissing him so thoroughly it hurt. Her intentions were clear as she groped him through his jeans, and Adam had to break the kiss to pant out "I don't have". The rest of his words were lost as Ingrid squeezed at his erection, she knew what he was saying and didn't care. After the first time after Ingrid turned, they had been careful, far more so than he and Erin had been - clearly.

That was falling rapidly into the 'that was the past' pile, especially when Ingrid was tugging his jeans down and wrapping legs around his hips. There was a reason he started wearing button up casual shirts recently, which he remembered as she tore his top open and bit down on him, claiming him so completely he couldn't think straight. Adam couldn't deny missing this, when they didn't have to care about being found out or pregnancy or anything but the heat of the moment. He gave Ingrid chance to take back what he knew in the back of his mind she meant, clinging to the edge as he warned her he was close but she only held him tighter, whimpering "please" against his mouth. Never totally in control when it came to Ingrid, Adam couldn't help himself as he came, trembling against her and kissing her desperately when he could breathe again. "I'm still mad at you." "Given that kidnapping me for sex was your idea, I'm not surprised."

Hurrying to redress himself, Adam helped Ingrid straighten out her clothes and wrapped his arms around her. "You were right. I do wish you weren't my brother, but only because I abhor being a dirty little secret. Given the choice, I would mindwipe your little slayer girlfriend and send her back to her human life." "That's... honest." Kicking himself for even considering that, considering making Erin forget about their daughter, Adam grimaced. "I think we both know lying to each other as well as everyone else is not a good idea." "I guess. I should get back, Erika gets hungry more at night." Ingrid kissed him again, then handed him a compact mirror (he had no idea why she carried it) and he saw the red stain across his mouth. "You bite me so often I'm no longer sure if its blood or makeup." Ingrid simply shrugged, smirking as he scrubbed his face clean. "Are you coming back tomorrow night?" "Probably, I think Erin will be the one killing me if I keep refusing to sleep. Are you going now?" Ingrid nodded, dropping him back near the hospital and flitting off back to the castle.

"Where did your sister disappear off to dearie?" Having downed two abysmal cups of coffee before he felt alert enough to engage in conversation again, Adam smiled at the nurse. "She was tired, went back home. I was just waiting for our cousin to come get her." Lying had become such second nature, it scared him at times. "Mhmm, you should be sleeping yourself, I'm not sure you're human with how the other nurses tell me you're awake days at a time." "I've never been a heavy sleeper, and I have insomnia anyway. Erika is worth it." The not human comment sat oddly with him, and he wasn't sure why. That may be the sleep deprivation talking though, so he let it slide - he wasn't human anyway. The baby drank down another bottle, clutching Adams finger tightly and drifting off in his arms when he sang to her. "Can tell she's yours, awake most of the night." Shifting his eyes from the sleeping baby, Adam found her mother. "I would think there was more telling she was mine than that?" "True. Is your mum visiting again today?" "I think so. Then the next time will be whenever Erika is released - we'll never get a baby seat in the hearse."

"I love you, I do, but you look like death warmed over." "I feel it. I'll go back tonight, or crash in the day room if it gets bad." Erin hmm-ed but didn't argue, even if she must have noticed he was practically breathing coffee as he kissed her. "I love you too by the way, in case you forgot." "Idiot. Go eat something, before I feed you that weight gain stuff she's drinking." Letting out a long suffering sigh, he knew what she meant - he was already slim, but constant emotional strain and a tendency to burn off more calories than he put in was pushing him back to too-thin. Not in the mood for actual food, he figured chocolate was fattening enough for him and paced the corridor chewing the bar of sugary sweetness. Stopping off in the day room to check his phone - he couldn't have it on in the ward - the next thing he remembered was a face full of George waking him up. "You look paler than usual ghost boy, are you ok?"

Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, Adam managed to nod. "I'm good, just sleepy munchkin. I'll be fine when Erika comes home, I just want her to be alright." George peered around, then leant in conspirationally, whispering "Erin said to stop letting you have it so I had to sneak this in" before handing him a cardboard cup full of coffee. "Thanks munchkin. You're still my favourite sister." Looking at his watch while beautiful caffeine filled his veins, he had only dropped for a couple of hours but he had obviously needed it. "Better?" "Much. Lets go." George gave him a high five - because you were never too old for high fives according to her - and led him back to the ward. "Told you you needed sleep." "And I said I would crash if I had to, and I did. See?" Adam indicated his sleep mussed hair, before trying to flatten it into submission. Erika was currently in her grandmothers - that was a weird thing to call his 34 year old mother - arms, wiggling happily as his mum tickled her.

"What's the weird thing on her belly? I didn't see it before with all her blankets." Peering closer, Adam realised what she meant. "The leftover umbilical cord, it has to drop off by itself because its a blood supply beforehand." George nodded in understanding, squinting at the little protrusion. "Weird to think that's part of what makes a baby grow. Though obviously, Adam made it a little lazy." "Hey, shed growing faster than I did! We get to take her home soon." The thought had Adam bouncing in his excitement, taking her home would be the sign Erika was going to be alright in spite of his freaky genes. In spite of being living proof it wasn't as bad as it looked, he still wanted to be sure. "Come on baby Erika, time for every woman's worst nightmare." They took her to be weighed and measured, and it was good news again. "Up to just under 5 pounds, tomorrow she can be weaned onto normal formula. If she keeps going strong for a couple of days, then you can take her home." Grinning widely, Adam hugged Erin in celebration. "That's brilliant news, thank you!" He was exuberant enough that he almost hugged the male nurse holding Erika, taking her back himself and sitting down with the grizzly baby. "Hear that baby girl? You're a tough little thing."

* * *

Adam wasn't ashamed to admit he cried tears of happiness when Erika was finally declared well enough to leave, getting hugs and baby gifts on the sly from half the nurses who had watched his vigil at his daughters side. Sitting next to the baby seat in his mums car, he carried Erika in to the castle, talking about how it was big and creepy but that was ok. It wasn't until he saw Bertrand sat at the table, reading a huge book in Latin, that he remembered he hadn't warned his human family about the new tutor. "Mum, George, this is Bertrand, my tutor." Bertrand introduced himself politely, then resumed reading as though nothing was strange about the whole situation.

"Well, we better get going, I have a class." Nodding at his mum, he let them say goodbye to Erika and went back to focusing on his daughter. "Think they'll be back?" Adam shrugged, touching his daughters sleeping face softly. "I won't hold my breath, I know George will want to come back but mum is still mad at me." Erin wrapped an arm around his shoulders, kissing his cheek and smiling at their baby. "Right then baby girl, time you find out just how many stairs there are to our room." She was still light, small but definitely tougher than she looked, and slept right through the climb up to their room and barely fussed when laid in her crib. "Well, she doesn't seem fazed." "Lets hope she's always so calm, life here isn't exactly normal." Ryan and Ingrid dropped by to see Erika was back, but it was still early morning for them and they left to sleep soon enough.

"She's asleep, home and safe and healthy. Will you please sleep now?" Adam hadn't left the hospital in two days, and aside from the nap in the day room he hadn't slept in about five days. "I guess. Come here." Knowing he had been a pretty terrible boyfriend, he hoped the spidery cracks in their relationship would heal now Erika was ok and pulled Erin to lie with him. She let him hug her tightly, and he knew he was exhausted as he fell asleep in minutes. Erika crying woke him a few hours later, so he changed her while Erin went to make up her bottle. Fed and clean, she settled back down but Adam couldn't fall back to sleep himself. "Now you can go eat, and shower. No offence, you smell." Chuckling, though it sounded a little hollow even to his ears, Adam went and mindlessly ate something, he couldn't remember what it was five minutes later, and hurried to shower off.

"Fed, watered, showered and slept. I even put clean clothes on!" Erin hit him in the face with a plush toy, reminding him to put their daughters birth certificate away safely. Tucking it into his own "important documents" folder, it looked bizarre to see "Adam Giles" under "father", sitting next to his own birth certificate, and his passport with a photo from when he was eleven. "I need to update this before I stop showing up in pictures really, don't I?" "Probably would be a good idea." Using his phone to order the forms for it, he figured he could get the photos done and post it off when he had to go out for more baby stuff, or when he went back to his paper round - the woman he worked for had been very understanding about a "sick family member" and got her son to cover Adam for a few weeks - he hadn't missed a day before this so she considered him reliable.

"Should be fun, I can't even remember what mum put in the father section of my old application. I can hardly write Count Dracula!" "You need her to fill the mother side in anyway, so ask her then." "Should be a fun afternoon. Mum, how cute is Erika? By the way, what do you write in a form other than drunken weekend accident?" Reigning in his temper and anxiety was getting progressively harder, especially with the unknown quantity that was Bertrand. Erika clearly sensed the mood in the room, wailing unhappily in spite of being clean and full still. Lifting her carefully and settling on their bed, Adam sang softly to her and the effect was almost instantaneous as she calmed down, looking up at him with big blue eyes. "I didn't know you could sing." "Shhh, she's only just stopped screaming." Ryan mercifully dropped his voice, edging in to look at his niece. "Are they supposed to look a bit squishy?" "Don't make me put garlic in your coffin. She's perfect." Adam reluctantly relinquished her to let Ryan hold her, and for once it didn't end in wails after a few minutes. Erin fell asleep soon after the vampires rose for the night, so Adam took Erika downstairs and juggled holding her with getting thrashed at chess by Bertrand. Training and fatherhood, how hard could it be?

-VAI-

 **A friend I made on here who reads this asked if I like children, because I write happy dad stuff so well? Honestly, can't stand the little cretins BUT in fairness, I would never get naked with someone I'm related to, doesn't stop me writing it haha.**

 **Anyway, yes, the end is nigh!**


	24. Broken Moments

**Not my characters.**

 **So, this is set roughly six months from the last chapter. Because while I didn't plan to skip such a chunk of time, there is essentially zero importance between Erika coming home stuff and Adam's birthday. More specifically, this is set May 1st at the beginning of the chapter - Ingrid's birthday!**

 **On we go!**

-VAI-

Leaving Erika was never easy to Adam. Even though she was gaining weight and teething a little and holding her head up and crawling - not to mention a healthy set of lungs - his anxiety had him worrying alot. He wasn't actually that anxious about Erika, so long as he was with her he was calm and collected and adored looking at her smiling face. She was a happy baby, and a wonderful blend of her two parents. The other parent was something of an issue, Erin was still mad with Adam for hypnotising Ryan, though she said she understood why. Their relationship wasn't quite falling apart, but without the concerns of carrying a half vampire child and Ryan being turned a year-old thing she had accepted, Adam knew Erin was missing her old life. "What are you doing?" The girlfriend in question asked, as all she could see was Adam leaning over Erika wriggling on their bed. "Taking a photo to send to George, then I have training." Transferring their daughter to her mother, Erin cooed at her then looked at Adam. "I'm worried about you. You can't keep on like this." "I have like six weeks to my transformation, I don't need to keep on much longer before I am resistant to silly health issues from insomnia and undereating. Leave it. Bertrand could turn us in and we would all be dead, so long as I'm training he's happy and Erika is safe."

He slept every other night, training on the nights he was awake and his days were spent with his daughter. Between Ingrid and Erin, even Ryan was in on the conspiracy to take Erika at times so Adam would eat properly or go outside other than to do his paper round. Heading down to meet his tutor, they went outside so Adam could work on target practice - he was using tennis balls now but occasionally they caught fire when he threw them. His father would come out and watch and cheer at times, others he would complain about the perfectly edible slayer girl he was not allowed to eat. Erin didn't complain about such things, which was lucky really. It was just he and Bertrand out on the castle grounds tonight, and Bertrand called time early. "Was I doing it wrong?" Bertrand gave him a piercing look, then shook his head. "I thought... You would appreciate time with Ingrid on her birthday." Eyes wide in surprise, Adam stared back at his tutor. "Why would you think that?" It was pointless actively lying, his heart rate would be giving him away right now as it raced.

"My job is to pay attention to you. I told you I would indulge your eccentricities, and it is not my place to judge. So long as you are committed to your training when we do so, what you do with the rest of your time is none of my concern. Consider this a reward for good progress, and please remember to shower in the future." Feeling his cheeks flush in embarrassment, he nodded. About to head back to the castle, a thought occured which made him turn back. "Bertrand. If I asked you to do something drastic, would you do it?" "That would depend entirely on what it was. I would want to know why you couldn't do it yourself, your transformation is rather close." Tossing the tennis ball back and forth between his hands, Adam chose his words carefully. "Alright. Assuming there was a good reason I couldn't do it myself, an even better reason for why I asked you to do it. And it didn't involve staking anyone?" He could practically hear the cogs whirring in his tutors mind, trying to find the root of Adam's request of sorts.

"After your transformation, yes. Within reason, naturally. Before then, I do not wish to risk "rocking the boat" by agreeing to an unnamed request until you have your time before the mirror." "I understand. It's hypothetical at the moment anyway. Thanks Bertrand." "My pleasure. I think." Tossing the last ball at his tutor, they both smiled somewhat as it flamed in the air. "You're getting better at that." Nodding in agreement, Adam headed back to the castle alone. Bertrand hadn't come right out with it, but the vein of his offer was clearly based on him knowing about his and Ingrid's relationship. His father was off in Transylvania visiting an old friend, leaving the four teens, the baby and the tutor alone in the castle.

Bizarrely, their home situation seemed to work fairly well. Aside from Ryan still crushing on Ingrid, his and Erin's emerging issues and the continuing strained relationship with his mother. George visited on occasion, probably whenever she had nagged their mother enough to come see Erika. It probably ought to upset him more than it did that his mother would come see his daughter, but not to see her son. Still, she had helped him fill out his updated passport form, even letting him have it delivered to her address - he was waiting on it returning. She explained she had simply put 'Salem Smith' on it before, but that she knew nothing more about him. It was an awkward conversation to say the least, interrupted by George giggling at her little niece.

Pacing down to Ingrid's crypt room, Adam listened out for sounds of Ryan but found none. Ingrid was sat in her coffin filing her nails, and he noticed she was wearing the bracelet he had left wrapped on her bed earlier. "Did you stake your tutor and make a bid for freedom?" "No. He... He let me go early. Said he thought I would appreciate spending time with you on your birthday." Ingrid looked almost as surprised as he had felt when the tutor said it. "Well, he's not as stupid as he looks. What else did he say?" "That he didn't care what I do with my time, so long as I'm completely invested in training when its "his time" with me." Adam didn't bring up the rest of their conversation, more interested in Ingrid's mouth on his. "Happy birthday by the way. Did you like it?" Ingrid held up the wrist with her bracelet on, giving him a somewhat exasperated look. "A little sentimental, don't you think?" The wristband was red, black bats around the circumference of it. Only he and Ingrid knew the inside was black, with red hearts patterned on it.

"Maybe, but anyone else will think it just means you like bats. You know it's because you're a vampire, and because I love you. And lets be fair, you wouldn't be entirely satisfied with less than tattooing "property of Ingrid Dracula" across my face or something." "True. You're overdressed." Ingrid didn't waste time rectifying the issue after she said so, giving his narrow frame a mildly disapproving look but not commenting, which he appreciated - he knew he was underweight, it just didn't seem that important in the light of everything else going on. Ingrid had said she decided 'whatever happens, happens' when it came to her risking falling pregnant, and Adam felt too guilty about it all to deny her. The whimpers she made against his mouth as their bodies moved together made his heart ache, the whispers of love they shared like a shameful secret making him feel guilt and want all at once.

Remembering Bertrands 'request', Adam made sure to shower and redress before he twined with Ingrid on her bed to fall asleep for the last couple of hours until morning. Ryan was still technically hypnotized, and took the "fell asleep talking" excuse with no hesitation when he found them there in the morning. "She still mad about that?" Ingrid asked after Ryan left, Adam's anxiety peaking for some reason. "Yeah, she said she understands but that I should have been careful enough not to have to. She's right I guess." Torn between leaving to be with his daughter and wishing the world away for just another minute with Ingrid, Adam kissed her again, clinging to the last moments before they had to go back to hiding. Ingrid matched him, nipping at his mouth and clutching at his shoulders. They broke apart with heart stopping speed when an all too familiar voice shattered the moment, and Adam knew there was no denying what his mother had just walked in on. "Adam?"

Wiping the blood from his split lip, he had no words to offer - it was inexcusable, illegal, depraved and there was nothing to say to change that. "Don't you breathers know how to knock?" Ingrid was as shocked as he was, but where he fell silent, she got riled. "Ryan said you two were just talking." Ryan could have walked in on them naked and entwined, he wouldn't have remembered to say that. Though Adam was genuinely surprised his mother could speak, she looked ill, sickened. She seemed to remember that too, and turned and ran. "You just going to let her go?" "Make sure she doesn't leave yet. I'll be there in a minute." Ingrid nodded, flitting off to ensure the humans couldn't leave. Adam ran to Bertrands room, seeing the man hadn't yet gone to sleep for the day. "I need your help. I want you to mindwipe my mother, and my sister." Bertrand's face didn't betray much emotion, even as he asked "why?". "Because I cannot keep juggling this, and my mum just caught me and Ingrid. I can live with her forgetting me. I cannot live with her thinking - no, knowing I'm a monster. Please? I can't mindwipe them, I care about them. You don't."

Bertrand sighed, but nodded. "Now?" "Ingrid's stopping them leaving, but she won't hurt them so it won't slow them for long." His tutor grabbed his arm, pulling him to the throne room to find Erin holding their daughter, Ryan unconscious and his mum and George trying to get past Ingrid. "Let us go!" "Mum, George. I'm sorry. I love you." They both turned to him in disbelief, and it killed him inside to see the fear, the disgust in their eyes. "Sorry? I don't think there's a word..." His mum didn't get to finish her sentence, Adam couldn't mindwipe them but he could slow them down as he held their gaze. "Do it." The others watched in surprise as Adam turned away, and Bertrand stared deeply at both of the humans. He heard the click of fingers, and heard the sounds of bodies being caught as the hypnosis knocked them out. "Now what?" Thinking on his feet, Adam called out for Renfield. "I need you to drive my mums car back to their home. Then return here." "Yes young master, are they going in the breather carriage?" Adam nodded, fighting tears as he lifted George up carefully. "I know you would rather hide somewhere and beat yourself up, but I have a point to make."

"What?" Ingrid didn't even flinch at his rough tone, but he fully expected her to challenge it later. "The Branagh family?" "I can deal with them." Grimacing slightly at Renfield carrying his mother but knowing it was sunny so he was Adam's only option, he didn't even think about it as he clicked his fingers and the car unlocked. He fastened their seatbelts, dug the keys out of her bag for Renfield and held on to their house keys. The drive down seemed to take forever, in spite of having to tell the servant to stop speeding, but eventually they pulled up outside Adam's old home. "Help me get them inside, then walk back to the castle and have the day off." "Thank you master!" In truth, Adam just wanted to be alone. Laying George on her bed one last time, Adam swallowed around the lump in his throat. Removing family photos, painting over the hieroglyphs he and George had put on her wall, making sure there was nothing that spoke of another child in the home before.

Subconsciously worrying he would have to do something drastic at some point anyway, Adam had planned for something like this. Hunting out his grandparents address, he scribbled it onto an envelope - he had already written the letter to them, explaining that he was leaving the country with his father and it hurt his mum too much to even talk to him, so they should do their best not to remind her. This was where his grandmothers contempt for his existence would come in handy, they never kept photos of Adam anyway. It was like literally carving out part of his soul as he scanned the entire house, and he spent a few moments crying by himself before he knew he had to finish this - Erika needed him. Cleaning up his face and putting his mothers keys back where he found them, he figured Stokely was safe enough that they didn't need to lock the door until they woke. Georges old T-Rex backpack did the job to carry the things he had taken, and his last task was to clear their phones out. The picture he had sent George the night before was like a knife in his chest, she had been so excited to be Erika's aunt and he was taking that away. Deleting his number and history from their data, he swallowed back fresh emotion and stepped outside.

"Oh hello Adam, we haven't seen you for a while." "I'm sorry to just drop by, is Robin home?" "Are you alright?" Not in the slightest, but he needed to get in to their house. "Fine, I just need to see Robin for a minute." "He's in his room, go on up." Thanking Mrs Branagh, Adam wasn't sure he could do this. He wasn't in love with Robin, so he supposed he could hypnotize Robin just to never think about Adam, but mindwipe his family to forget him. Even so, he felt a fresh wave of guilt when Robin opened his bedroom door cautiously. "I know, it's been too long. Can we talk?" Robin seemed to waver between yes and no for several minutes, but eventually let him in. "So? What can I do for you stranger?" "I have been an utterly terrible friend, I know that. I came to explain myself." Robin gave him a suspicious look, but gestured for him to continue. "I got Erin pregnant. My mum was not happy, and we had a bad fight and that's why I moved in with my father, and why I haven't been back to school." Mouth open in shock, Robin stared at him. "You're serious?" Holding out his phone, his background photo his favourite of Erin holding Erika, he couldn't help but smile a little. "Her name is Erika, and she's about six months old now."

Robin stared at the photo in disbelief, but then smiled a little himself. "She's cute, but I don't get it. Why are you telling me this now? I would have stuck with you if you told me last year." "I don't doubt it, but I was kind of withdrawn after my family started falling apart. And I didn't want to come between you and your girlfriend." "Yeah, Delilah was never thrilled I fooled around with a boy. She's over that now though. Still, why now? What's changed?" "Because I thought I owed you some truth first, you earned it putting up with me." "First? What's going on Adam?" Not wanting to find out now if tears affected hypnosis capability, Adam rushed to hold Robin's stare. "I'm leaving Stokely soon, and we had a terrible fight, so bad you never want to think about me again." Clicking his fingers, Robin dropped to his bed, asleep. Hurrying to wipe his details from Robin's phone, he looked around for anything that screamed him. A silent apology to his friend, Adam took his pile of sketchbooks, and pulled down the sketches Robin still had of him on his bedroom walls.

Wiping his name completely from the other Branaghs minds, he left a lot of sleeping humans behind as he stepped outside. The sky was already beginning to darken as he jogged up to the castle, and he realised he had been gone all day. "Well, he's not covered in blood so I don't think it was a massacre." "Well I only said it was an option!" Ryan and Ingrid had apparently been discussing what Adam would do to deal with the Branagh family, but his first priority was dropping his bag and getting hold of his daughter. "I mindwiped them all, Robin won't ever want to think of me again and the others can't." "Are you ok?" Erin was looking at him, concern clear on her face. "Not even a little bit, but I did what I had to." Holding Erika was like ice water on the pain burning in his chest, her smile balm on the raw grief. "Why were they even here? It was barely even morning." Ryan flitted over to the bookcase, darting back a second later. "They brought this over, and George wanted to see Erika." The envelope had Adam Giles at the top, but his mums address underneath. "Open it." Ryan shrugged and opened the seal, turning it down to empty the contents.

"My passport, figured I should update it before I struggle with the whole daylight and photo stuff. I was expecting her to tell me it had come so I could go get it. George must have really nagged to see Erika." "Why bother? You'll be able to fly without airplanes in under two months." Adam shrugged, kissing the downy hair on his daughters head. "Just seemed like a good idea." Erin gestured to Ryan to leave the room, though he caught her saying "he needs family right now" as they left - his hearing was getting sharper by the day. Ingrid didn't move, didn't speak, just looked down at his passport for a long while. "Are you planning a trip?" "No, I just wanted to update it, do vampires not carry ID normally?" "Why would we? You can hypnotize security, and fly under your own steam." "I don't know, maybe it's a human thing but I just thought it made sense. Especially when Erika looks so much like her mother, I can prove the father on her birth certificate is me."

Ingrid regarded him suspiciously, but didn't argue with his words, so he figured it was safe to ask. "What did I miss earlier? Why was Ryan unconscious?" "He fainted when your mother ranted to Erin that you were cheating on her with your other sister. Erin said she knew about it, and had for a while. George kind of freaked out, and then you turned up with tutor man. He didn't seem all that fazed, went to his coffin after you left like nothing had happened. What took you so long?" Adam indicated the backpack he had dropped next to him. "Cleaning up after myself. Posted a letter to my grandparents saying I have left the country and mum doesn't want to be reminded. They don't like me anyway, won't be a tough sell. Painted over the hieroglyphics on George's wall that spell my name, took any photos or drawings of me, deleted names and numbers and text history from their phones, even Robin's sketches. Its like I never existed." If it weren't for Erika gurgling happily up at him, joyous in her father's arms, Adam reckoned he probably would wish he had never existed.

"I'm not good at this feelings business, but how are you feeling?" Careful to keep his tone even, so as not to distress the baby, Adam tried to word it. "Like I just tore half of myself off and left it behind, how am I meant to feel?" He felt bad a minute later - Ingrid was trying. "Sorry. I just, I think I kept kidding myself that we were never going to get found out. And it could only have been worse one way, mum walking in on us like that." Ingrid approached him hesitantly, as though she expected him to bolt at any minute even though he was holding the baby. "Has it changed your mind?" "It probably should have, but there are a thousand things that should have by now. But then, what more do I have to lose now?" Mindful of the baby in his arms, Adam kissed Ingrid gently. Erika thoroughly ruined the moment by needing a change urgently, and as much as he loved his daughter he still grimaced as he stood. "Can you get her bottle from the kitchen? Assuming Renfield hasn't stolen it... Again." Pocketing his passport before Ingrid tried hiding it or something, he turned for the tower steps.

Taking Erika up to the tower to change her (his father refused to let him change her downstairs as his sense of smell was apparently too delicate), Ingrid met him up there with a warmed bottle and Ryan looked at them in confusion. "What did you do to your face?" Running through the days events, he remembered the split lip he had acquired earlier. "My lip? Fight with Robin before I left him sleeping." Ryan shifted to let Adam sit on his own bed to feed the girl, full hands leaving him powerless to stop Erin forcing chocolate in his mouth piece by piece. "What is this, an intervention?" "You haven't eaten all day, and you were training last night so I doubt you have since yesterday afternoon." He gave Erin their daughter to burp in revenge, getting multiple glares as he tried to get the heavy taste of chocolate off his tongue with an energy drink. "What? Its early, I'll sleep when Erika goes down for the night." She was in no way inclined to sleep anytime soon, gnawing at anything in arms reach that stayed still long enough for her to grab - Ryan's hand, Ingrid's sleeve, Adam's shirt and eventually the teething ring Erin gave her. The vampire twosome left when Erin started falling asleep, and Adam tried to lull their daughter to follow along with quiet singing and rocking her gently. "I won't ever leave you baby girl, I promise."

-VAI-

 **We all knew it would happen eventually, despite my preference over all for Vlad/Ingrid shipping I wouldn't have put it in this particular story arc IF it wasn't for more than just deterring readers who don't like that ship. (I totally respect if you don't ship them, and if you somehow have stuck with this story regardless then bonus points).**

 **Next is Adam's hot date with himself - the transformation! And kind of likely to be the last chapter of this, though that isn't a certainty yet.**

 **Last but by no means least, thanks to the new favourite while I was writing this update!**


	25. Meant To Happen

**Not my characters, but if anyone with some kind of ownership of YD had made it this far, I probably have bigger issues.**

 **To the ones who might end up lining up outside the castle with flaming torches and really big pitchforks - I'm sorry!**

 **Also, this is probably the longest chapter to date.**

 **On we go...**

-VAI-

"Nervous?" Erin was lay against his side, Erika in his arms gnawing on her teething ring and drooling. "I don't know. I mean, I've had over a year to accept this was going to happen, and Ingrid has explained how it goes. And Ryan is yours and Erika's personal guardian, in case I come out different. I won't put you two at risk." Wiping Erika's chin with her bib, Adam didn't think nervous was the right word for his thoughts on the transformation two days away. "I'm not worried about that, I mean you live for Erika, I don't think dying is going to stop you being her father." Bertrand had given him the week off training, if he was with Erika he was fine but most of the time the last week or so his temper was hanging on a thin thread - Erin trusting him around the baby was a big ask until she saw him quiet and calm with her.

Ingrid had taken the storm in his mind fairly well, their times together rough and almost angry, his growing feelings of guilt drowned in the sparking desire. His skin would heal clean when he transformed, right down to the scars on his shoulder though Ingrid wasn't certain - vampire/untransformed teen relationships were hardly common, even less so with such a deep claim on their skin. "Thanks I guess, but I won't go in front of that mirror unless I know there's something between me and the human holding my daughter. Especially when the human in question is her mother. Still, I don't have to worry about mum and George being here for my birthday." Losing his mother and George still stung, but it was preferable to the absolute horror in their eyes when they knew what he did with his other sister.

Erin knew better than to ask any deeper on that topic now, even holding Erika that was a more than delicate topic. Ingrid hadn't pushed more than to check he was still ok with it all the first time after they were found out, if he wanted to talk she would listen but he didn't. Erika started fussing, throwing her arms around and grizzling. "Hungry?" The baby couldn't answer, obviously. "I'll get her bottle." "Already done, she always gets hungry about now." Ryan peered around the door cautiously - he and Adam had a tolerance for the sake of their situation, but Adam was the half breed that knocked up his sister, they would never be friends - and so he was the most frequent victim of Adam's temper. "Thanks Ryan." Erika took the bottle happily, having no trouble gaining weight or developing normally since she was freed from the hospital.

Adam smiled at his daughter, her innocent face free of all the things that led to her even existing. This time she didn't even puke on him when he winded her, so that was a plus. "Is it my turn yet?" Truth be told, Adam didn't like letting Ryan hold her, but he was Erin's brother, the baby's uncle and prepared to face off against vampire Adam to protect them both, so he reluctantly handed over the girl. He couldn't help laughing when Erika tugged on Ryan's long hair, the vampires face scrunching up in pain at the girls surprisingly form grip. "You did ask to hold her, you know that means keep your hair and clothes out of arms or mouths reach." "Just because your hair isn't long enough to be a baby toy." "Erin's is, so is Ingrid's and they both know to keep it away." Ryan scowled, trying to pry his hair free and failing until Adam offered to take Erika back. Erika easily relinquished Ryans hair to go back to her father, gurgling happily and tapping his cheek with her little hand.

"Are you being mean to your uncle?" Erika grinned gummily at him, shaking the toy he gave her almost violently. "I need to go talk to Bertrand, you alright with her?" Erin nodded, no less hands on than Adam but he was addicted to his little girl. Kissing his girlfriend much to Ryan's displeasure, Adam got to his feet and headed downstairs. First on his agenda was coffee, he was struggling to sleep most nights now and spent them with either Erika or Ingrid. Steaming hot caffeine in hand, he went in search of his tutor. "Can I help you Adam?" "Not right now, just giving Erin time with our daughter, and staying out of Ryan's way before we start arguing again. I can't tell Erin not to see her brother." Bertrand nodded, looking at Adam's cup in distaste then back at his book. "Not long now, then I'll apparently hate coffee as much as you do." "Not necessarily, Ingrid still drinks tea at times and I have met the odd biter with a taste for coffee."

Adam shrugged, sipping at the mug. "Not like it matters." "Well that all depends on you." "You're backing out?" Bertrand sighed, then shook his head. "No. That doesn't mean I approve." "I didn't ask for your approval, I asked for your agreement." "You have it." "Good." The tell tale rise of his temper starting, Adam left before he lost it with his tutor and drained his coffee. "That stuff will kill you." "The blood mirror is going to do that." Ingrid found him in the kitchen, staring at the thick red '16' on the calender. "Surprised you were pried away from your daughter." "Ryan came to visit, I still kind of want to break his face every time I look at him lately so it's best we avoid each other, I'm not going to tell Erin she can't see her brother. Especially when she doesn't stop me seeing you." Ingrid sat at the table, taking measured sips from her goblet of blood. "Do you let her see Ryan out of guilt, since you said that's why she lets you see me."

"Kind of, they wouldn't be here, ex slayers, one a vampire and one a mother without me. They only have each other and that's my fault." The mug in his hand shattered, jagged ceramic slicing his palm and his arm. "Damn, third one this week. Good job they'll heal over soon, or someone would worry I hurt myself, rather than get others to do it for me." Adam knew he was supposed to want blood, but even as he licked the cut on his palm it tasted dull, bland. "Two days left, want this?" Adam held out his bleeding arm to Ingrid, knowing it would inevitably lead to them in her room. Sure enough, when Ingrid was done drinking from his cut arm, she was kissing him and pulling him to her coffin. Adam was rougher with her now, but Ingrid didn't complain as he gripped her hips tighter, bit her lip and sucked hard at the curve of her pale throat. Ingrid gave as good as she got, tearing his skin beneath her fangs, her nails and sucking fresh bruises over his pulse point.

The coffin was too small to bask in the afterglow comfortably, so Adam climbed out and lay on her bed, pulling his shorts back on in case anyone walked in but he couldn't find the energy to care if anyone saw the state of him now. Ingrid showered and dressed before she joined him, scratching gently at his scalp the way she knew relaxed him. "Mmm, can you do this when I have to face my reflection so it's fun?" "Idiot. No, you'll just have to vamp up and... vamp up by yourself." Adam shuffked, resting his head in her lap to enable her to "pet" him more easily. "Is me being a half breed going to make me different other than the 18th choice thing?" Ingrids hand stopped, so Adam nudged at her hand until she resumed, it was impossible for him to relax lately and this was as close as he had gotten without Erika. "Not that I know of, there could be dozens like you and nobody knows. Nightmares aren't uncommon, and there is a lot more of an unknown quantity in you being the chosen one." "I guess."

Adam eventually dragged himself into the shower, pulling clothes over his ravaged skin and enjoying the aches and pains as much as ever. "You going back up?" "Mmm. Erin goes to sleep around now, so I need to go kick Ryan out if I want to sleep in my own bed tonight. For a biter he has no trouble sleeping at night." She nodded, kissing him hard before she let him go. As he expected, Erin was drifting towards sleep by now so Adam relieved Ryan of Erika and the half fang left without more than a goodnight to his sister. "You were gone a while." "Talking to Ingrid about my transformation." "Mmm, talking. I believe you." Adam barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes, Erin brought up the physical aspect of his relationship with Ingrid more than anyone. "Ask her yourself, we were talking about the time between now and my eighteenth." Calming himself down by focusing on changing his - no, their daughter for bed, Adam lowered her to her crib and rocked it gently. "What happened to your arm?" Looking at the scratches, Adam shrugged. "Got angry my cup was empty I guess. Its fine, doesn't hurt." That was a lie, but he reveled in the pain.

Erin was asleep by the time their daughter drifted off, so he pulled on his own sleepwear and lay facing the cot. Erin shifted in her sleep, laying an arm over his waist and Adam was surprised by the momentary urge to shrug her off. He didn't, but it was still off and he wasn't sure where it had come from. Forcing himself to close his eyes, sleep did not come easily but he eventually dropped off for a few hours. Erika crying woke him, but he had barely sat up, rubbing sleepy eyes before Ingrid was there bottle feeding her. "Thanks. Want me to take her?" Ingrid shook her head, having the presence of mind to use the special cloth for burping a baby that Adam frequently forgot. Erika patted Ingrid's face, then settled back to sleep in minutes. "Go back to sleep, you look like you need it. I'll watch her down in my room for a couple of hours, bring her up before dawn." Knowing why Ingrid wanted to spend time with her, he didn't argue as he lay back down. "Alright, but wake me if she needs me." "I will. Sleep half breed."

Aside from Erin, there was nobody else he would trust just to walk off with his baby, but he trusted Ingrid implicitly. Adam couldn't fall back to sleep, watching Erin slumber next to him. He still loved her, he knew he did but parenthood had definitely put strain on their relationship, and that was not counting training, Adam's nightmares, Ingrid, or the toll of his upcoming transformation. Erin stirred an hour or so into his semi-vigil, looking over at the crib in confusion. "Ingrid has her, told me I needed to sleep. Well, she said I looked terrible and should sleep." "Mmm. Does that mean we're alone?" "Unless there's someone you have stashed in here that I don't know about?" Erin shook her head, slipping hands under his sleep shirt and kissing him. This aspect of their relationship was somewhat restricted, Erika sleeping in their room and all. "Missed you." "Mmm, you only want me for my body." Erin chuckled against his neck, letting him lift off her shirt and shivering as he touched her.

"Obviously. So stop talking?" Adam smirked up at her, not missing her look of surprise as his shirt was shed. "Does it hurt?" "I've had worse." Her fingers traced the twin scars on his shoulder, the bruises on his throat. He could practically feel her wanting to ask, but that could wait as they stripped each other, his still-cooling body contrasting her warm, living one. "Do you feel cold?" "No, does it bother you?" He had never asked, but then Erin originally bedded him for reasons other than plain desire. She, like Robin had, had always felt burning hot against his skin, but he had rarely pondered on whether that meant he felt ice cold to her. "No, just wondered if you could feel it." Conversation was set aside as they twined, heat and pleasure twisting through him as Erin clung tighter to his body. She curled up against his chest after, always more affectionate after sex. "I do love you." "I never said you didn't." "I know, I just thought I would remind you." Erin hummed absently, dozing back to sleep on his chest and trapping him there until she woke.

Ingrid grimaced slightly as she brought back Erika, but it was obvious with a look that Adam was effectively pinned. "Come down whenever, dad wants us all awake tomorrow for your date with the mirror so it's back to day shift today." "Once Erin wakes up I'll go shower, then yeah I'll be there." "Mmm awake." Erin mumbled against his chest, but didn't open her eyes. "Course you are." Ingrid rolled her eyes, cast one more look down at Erika sleeping and left. Erin didn't move or speak again for almost half an hour, by which time he was tempted to wake her just so he could pee. "I'm actually awake now." "Welcome back to the land of the living, soon to be one less living." "Funny. Go shower so you don't traumatize Ryan. Again." Chuckling as he stood and hunted out clean clothes, Adam smirked at his girlfriend. "In fairness, you were the one who asked him to give us half an hour, wasn't a very generous estimate." Erin tossed a rubber bat toy (a gift from the Count) at him in retaliation, then told him to go hurry with his turn in the bathroom.

Brushing his teeth, showering off the pheromones even he could detect now, and then pulling on clean clothes and inspecting his healing arm, Adam just wanted tomorrow to hurry up and be over with - the anticipation in the air was driving him crazy. Erin was just changing their daughter when he returned, wearing one of the many t-shirts he owned that were too big for him now. "I remember you practicing this, man it seems like so long ago." Erin nodded in agreement, kissing their giggling daughter all over before snapping up her little romper suit. "She's so perfect, I can't believe I love her so much." Smiling at Erin nuzzling Erika's downy hair, he agreed. "She is. Surprising with me for a dad." Erin handed him the baby, then kissed him. "Oh I don't know, you're alright I guess." Erin grinned cheekily, then grabbed her clothes to head for a shower. "We'll be downstairs." Using the little carrier thing, he strapped Erika to his chest to carry her downstairs.

"Ah my son! Excited to be a proper vampire tomorrow?" "Shh, not so loud, Erika is only just awake." The Count scowled, but didn't shout again as Adam sat at the table with his daughter. "So, are you excited?" "I just want it to be done with, I'm tired of being short tempered and I want my teeth to stop hurting and my stomach to decide what it wants." Ryan fidgeted nearby, wanting to hold his niece but not stupid enough to irritate Adam. "Get her bottle and you can feed her." Ryan flitted off, returning a minute later with her bottle in hand and smiled as Erika let him feed her. "That's my girl" Erika promptly spewed milk over Ryan when he winded her, which at least showed he knew how to do it properly. "Gross." "Well, don't feed her if you can't follow through." Ryan grimaced as he handed her back, disappearing to change into a different hoodie. "Maybe you should tell him about the special cloth you use when you take care of her?" Ingrid looked over at him, painting her nails and smirking. "Where's the fun in that?"

Chuckling, Adam cleaned up the baby's face and sat reading to her about bats over breakfast, which amused Erin no end when she came down after her shower. "Where's Ryan?" "He made the mistake of giving Erika breakfast, so she puked on him." Being parents to a baby meant talking about such things didn't faze either of them now, so Erin merely laughed as she ate her own breakfast and gamely ignored the Count eyeing her neck. "Erika, you can't eat the book!" This didn't dissuade his daughter in the slightest, who merely smiled as she gnawed on the corner of the book. "This is why I don't have more offspring! Such hard work!" "Right, it has nothing to do with mum leaving you?" "And until a year ago, you didn't even know you had me." Erin looked at Adam and Ingrid as they spoke, shaking her head slightly. "What?" "Its just kind of... Eerie how alike you look when you do that." Adam looked at Ingrid, then they both shrugged.

The vampires were tired from being up all night, then all day, so once dinner was done with they all parted ways for the night, Ingrid's eyes dark on his as they stole a moment when Ryan was saying goodnight to his sister and niece. "Not long now." "I know." The feeling of her fangs against his lip reminded him of what tomorrow meant, the two of them clinging tighter to each other. "Anyone would think you were worried I won't come out." Ingrid didn't answer, refusing to meet his eyes now. "Wait. Can that happen?" She nodded, kissing him again before he could question further. "And nobody told me this before, why?" "So you wouldn't back out." "I wouldn't anyway. I better go, you need to sleep and I want to see my daughter through human eyes again." The desperation in her was heavy on his mouth, guilt thick in his chest when she left for her coffin. Bertrand pointedly wiped his mouth, reminding Adam of Ingrid's habit of biting his lip. Scrubbing at his face, Adam looked at his tutor for a minute. Getting the nod he was looking for, Adam headed up to his room.

"Ok. That wasn't there when I woke up this morning." "Think its a hint from your dad?" There was a big black coffin in his room, complete with a red bow on top. "Or a standard sixteenth gift, didn't Ingrids mum get her one for her sixteenth?" "I think so." Shaking his head, Adam just stepped around the big glorified box and went to his daughter. "I'm not getting you a coffin for your birthday unless you ask for one. But your mother would prefer you didn't." Erika blew a raspberry at him, so he guessed that was her answer. "I have long accepted our daughter is half vampire, you idiot." "Yeah, but Robin used to ask his dad every Christmas for a coffin." "Well he did get some vampire in him." Choking on his water at Erin's shameless joke, he covered the baby's ears protectively. "Shhhhh Erika can hear you." "She isn't even talking yet!" "She can still hear you."

Erin shook her head, watching with a smile as he checked Erika was full, changed and satisfied with her pacifier before changing for bed. "Can you believe it's been almost two years since we met?" "No. I can't believe everything that's happened since we moved to Stokely a couple of years ago. Imagine if I had never met Ingrid, what would happen to me tomorrow?" "Who knows? You would probably be diagnosed with porphyria and medicated for a condition you don't have. Blood craving, pale, bad reaction to sunlight." "I wonder if that's ever happened. Irony of being a vampire diagnosed with vampire disease." Erin shrugged, settling into bed next to him and they both looked to check his window covers were solid. "Get some sleep, big day." "Mmm." Erin nestled into his arms, drifting off soon after as he waited. Carefully, quietly creeping out of the bed, Adam hurried to put his plan into action. Stashing the bags in his wardrobe, he peered in at Erika sleeping peacefully.

Carefully slipping back in behind Erin, she shifted and mumbled "where did you to?" sleepily. "Bathroom. Go to sleep." "Mmm you too." Supposing he could do with the sleep, Adam let the sounds of breathing lull him to sleep. It wasn't even sunrise when Erika woke, but again Ingrid was already awake and appeared with her bottle while he was changing her. "Vampire aunt and uncle, gotta love the speed." "Once you're done you can do it yourself." Ingrid took her to feed while Adam dressed, remembering to go sans shirt while he winded her. "They stayed." Looking down, Adam realised his torso was blank, healed completely but the scars on his shoulder were just as dark as they were the night before. "Wow. Feels strange that we finally got this far." He wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but even his skinny frame looked a little less scrawny. That could be the sleep deprivation talking, he mused as he wiped milk off his shoulder and pulled on a t-shirt.

"How do you feel?" "Better, less... volatile. I think I'm just happy it's about to be over." "The waiting?" Ingrid was looking at him strangely as she held Erika. "Of course. Its been over a year since you told me, just seems like it took forever to get to this point. And my teeth still hurt, these fangs better come through nice and fast so it stops. Lets go, Erin can sleep more." Ingrid flitted Erika down for him, so Adam walked down by himself and retrieved her. "Big day half breed." "You might be protecting Erin and the baby later but don't think I won't dust you on principle." Ryan pulled a face at him, going back to his goblet of blood sleepily. "Are we ready?" "No, Erin isn't awake and I don't want to ire my slayer girlfriend the day I become a vampire." The Count tsk-ed, giving Adam's bowl of cornflakes (they didn't hurt to chew) a distasteful look. "My teeth hurt, stop leering and it won't annoy you." Bertrand was quiet, sat in the bookcase section reading but looked up on occasion.

Erin didn't wake for another hour, by which time his father was all but climbing the walls. "Finally decided to grace us with your presence?" "Dad, it's 7:30am. I'm not usually awake at this time unless Erika wakes me. And neither are you, for that matter." The Count grumbled but quieted, probably down to Adam glaring at him while rocking his daughter gently. "I'm about to be the only human in the castle. Should I be concerned?" "Only if Ryan turns on you, everyone else is more interested in what happens to me than fighting Ryan to get to your blood." "Somehow, that isn't all that reassuring." "You've been here what, a year? If we were going to eat you we would have by now." "Speak for yourself!" Ingrid was deadpan, their father irritable. "Come on then, lets get this over with." Anticipation was hot in his veins, even though he could tell his heartbeat was slow, barely there and just waiting to stop.

Everyone stood and walked behind the Count, stopping outside a big set of doors guarded by suits of armour. Kissing Erika, then Erin, Adam offered Ingrid a tight smile and stood in front of the door. They opened in front of him, something whispering at him to come closer. "To your destiny!" Stepping through, the doors slammed shut behind him and he was left facing a huge mirror. This one still showed a reflection, though there was a darker edge to it. Nothing happened, just staring at the glass for what felt like hours but could have been seconds. Stepping closer, he lifted his hand to rap on the glass. His reflection lifted its hand too, but instead of tapping, it beckoned him closer. "This is not what's supposed to happen..." Adam muttered to himself as he stepped closer, pressing a hand to the glass. The guardians, the gargoyle-like things he had hardly noticed either side of the mirror suddenly woke, seizing him and tossing him through the glass with a yelp.

Bracing himself as he heard glass shatter all around him, Adam opened his eyes to find an empty room, dark and dim and stone all around. "Ok. This is not supposed to happen." Looking down at the floor, there was no broken glass, no cuts on his skin. His heartbeat was gone, and no matter how much he tried, breathing felt unnatural. "Of course it's supposed to happen." The voice sounded like his, echoing around him and Adam whipped round, looking for the source. There was a pane of glass, everyone stood in front of the mirror looking through it. He couldn't hear a thing, but the looks on their faces suggested they definitely thought something was very wrong. He hit the glass, but they didn't react. Wherever he was, they couldn't follow nor could he communicate. "I told you, this has to happen." Turning back, he could see himself - the 'darker' looking one he had seen in the mirror. "Why?" "Because you're unique. You don't have one evil reflection. You have a thousand! And you aren't leaving here without us."

The other him smirked, mouth opening to reveal twin sets of points - fangs. "What? A thousand?" "Well, you are the chosen one. Where do you think this 'untold power' comes from?" He supposed that kind of made sense. "So, what happens now?" "You hold on tight while we take over you, then we slaughter your family and take over the world!" Adam didn't have a chance to argue before the thing leapt at him, blinding pain hitting his body as the thing absorbed itself into him. Pressing a hand to his mouth to muffle the screams on instinct, something sharp nicked his finger. Touching his tongue there tentatively, he felt his fangs. "Ok, so one down, only mine hundred and ninety nine more to to. Piece of cake." Adam had no idea who he was talking to, but the silence was deafening. Nothing moved for a few more minutes, anxiety peaking a little more each passing second until everything burned bright white, and then there were dozens, hundreds of identical silhouette shapes flying towards him. Each one hitting him hurt a little more, every atom in his body agonising as these things tore their way through. It finally, finally stopped, he lost count in the low hundreds as the pain got worse.

Falling to his knees, sweat sticking him to his clothes and his hair damp on his face, he swiped at his face and took a few deep breaths he didn't need. Feeling the pain recede to a slightly more tolerable level, he stumbled to his feet and looked back at the pane of glass. They weren't there anymore, but he had to get back through. Falling through the glass, the sweat and pain vanished as he landed back in reality, groaning at the sudden shift. "Adam?" The doors opened again, everyone stood looking at him. "You're alive?" "Technically, I'm undead. But yeah, I think all my parts came back through." The Count was first in front of him, looking him up and down. "What the blood and garlic happened? We heard you shout, managed to get in and you were gone." "Thirsty." His throat burned, dry and he felt empty, a deep instinctual part of him very aware of the two heartbeats in the room. "Worry about vegetarianism later, drink this." A glass was pressed into his hand, swallowed in one long gulp and he coughed at the sharp, spicy flavour.

Feeling a little less rabid, he looked at his daughter. "Dada!" Lack of heartbeat didn't stop the bubble of happiness in his chest as Erika spoke her first word. "I'm ok, can I?" Ryan stood between him and the two girls, but Erin looked at him for a minute before holding out their daughter. "Dada!" Erika reached out to him as he picked her up, essentially demanding his attention. Erin felt even warmer on his skin now, but Erika felt as perfect as ever in his arms. "This rooms a bit cramped for all of us, can we have this conversation sitting down?" He didn't wait for an answer, his body already instinctively speeding him to the throne room. Sitting down, he watched his daughter smile at him. The others caught up a couple of seconds later, Ryan bringing Erin and still keeping a wary eye on his fanged mouth. "Damn, you're fast."

Adam shrugged, still mostly looking at his daughter. "How do you feel?" "Strange. But oddly peaceful." "So what happened?" Everyone settled around the table, staring avidly at him. "Stood staring at the mirror, the reflection just sort of stood there. Then he kind of beckoned me closer, and when I touched the glass those gargoyle things grabbed me and threw me in." "That's not supposed to happen!" Glaring at his father, Adam bared his fangs - which only seemed to amuse his child. "Do you want to hear this, or interrupt?" His father scowled but silenced, waving his hand for Adam to go on. "I came to in a weird, huge, empty room. Spent a few minutes wondering what the hell was going on, then the reflection me appeared and told me I was unique. That I didn't have one reflection, I had a thousand. I said that wasn't right, but he said it was where my 'untold power' comes from, then they said they would take over and slaughter you all before taking over the world and I was gang rushed by hundreds of things that look just like me. Hurt like hell, I lost count in the low hundreds as they kept hitting me. Then it stopped, and I managed to come back out. That's it really."

"Intriguing." "Ever the one with words Bertrand?" "So you don't feel an overwhelming desire to go on a rampage?" "Not so long as Erika is safe, no, I feel perfectly fine. Although I am very aware of the heartbeats around me." Everyone looked at Erin, who shrugged. "She could use stasis spray? I mean, we still have it but she couldn't use it pregnant and by then we didn't think about it." "And to someone new to this vampire slayer world in comparison to all of you, what is that?" "Blocks out the sound of her breathing, her heartbeat, her scent." "Won't that confuse Erika?" "No idea, you break every rule there is as easy as... I was going to say breathing... Biting?" Erin grinned, clearly happy Adam seemed to have come out himself. "Renfield!" Adam couldn't help cringing at the loud noise, his hearing even more sensitive now. "Yes master!" "A feast! To celebrate my son coming of age!" "Yeah, great. How about not shouting?" His father pulled a few faces, his strange thinking process before understanding dawned. "Right. What would you like?" Renfield started listing really gross things, so Adam mumbled "pizza" out of habit. "Pizza? Really?" "I like pizza." That apparently settled the matter, and Adam was surprised to learn he had been in the mirror room for hours - it was almost evening now.

"He's got the speed thing down, what about flying?" Ryan seemed to be challenging him, as though Adam had somehow fooled everyone and this was a ploy. Barely even thinking about the fact he was still holding Erika, Adam imagined the six steps bat transformation rules and suddenly he was flapping, looking down on the room. Circling a little, he dropped back into his chair still holding his daughter. "Did you just perform a tandem transformation without even blinking?" "Uh. Sure? What's that?" "Using your transformative energy with another, you didn't even look strained by it." "Was it supposed to be straining?" Giving Erika her bottle, Adam settled her in her high chair so he could eat but kept his eye on her gnawing at a rubber bat. "Anything else surprising you want to do?" "No idea." Ryan didn't seem fussed either way by the pizza, Ingrid was enjoying it but trying to hide it and Bertrand spent more time looking at it like he was studying a rabid animal than eating it.

"Shall we go tuck you into your new crypt?" "No? I'm not moving rooms, Erika sleeps in the tower so so do I." "You would think he came out a little more vampiric, not a super charged breather with teeth." "I'm still technically half human, at least until I'm 18. So do be quiet Ryan." His father chuckled at Adam's "attitude", Ryan scowled and Erin looked torn between laughing and admonishing him. "Come on, time for baby bath time!" Erika hated bath time, scowling at him and looking eerily like Ingrid as she did so. Erin followed him up, helping him bathe their daughter and laughing when he got splashed. "Yes, it's a terrible injustice but if you insist on getting food in your hair, you need a bath." He merely got another splash, and a lot of grizzling and drooling as they finished washing her. Erin dried her, Adam dressed her and they put her down in her crib.

"Well we know who her favourite is, first word being you." "Don't be silly, I think she just hears dad more because the only mother here is you." Erin shrugged, the motion somehow drawing his attention to her neck and the pulse beating below the skin. "Adam? You ok?" Tearing his eyes away, Adam nodded. "Yeah. Just going to take some adjusting." Erin pulled out a bottle of clear liquid from a bag he hadn't seen much of. She sprayed it over her neck, then wrists and the sound of her heart faded, the heady scent of blood vanishing. "Better?" "Yeah, thanks." Adam didn't feel tired, but Erika was sleeping and Erin was obviously sleepy. "Whats wrong?" "I don't know, just not tired." Erin nodded, kissing him then pushing him to the door. "Go annoy Ingrid, some of us spent all day worrying." "Want me to send Ryan up in case Erika gets hungry?" "If he's still up, don't wake him." Adam flitted off, the speed still a rush in itself and found Ryan, Bertrand and the Count in the main room. "Erin requests you go help her watch Erika, and her exact words were "go annoy Ingrid" when I said I wasn't tired."

His father exclaimed "So you should be training!" Bertrand looked at him searchingly, then nodded slightly. "No, he can have one night to shift his sleep patterns. Then we shall begin." Ryan headed up to his sister, and Adam left the two adult vampires to head down to his sister. "Back again?" "Not tired, Erin all but kicked me out so she could sleep." Ingrid smirked, then pushed her crypt door closed and pulled him to her bed. His body was sturdier, needed Ingrid to get rougher with him to make it hurt like before and she rose to the challenge, the feel of her fangs in his shoulder even more powerful than before as they gripped tighter to each other, pain and pleasure one and the same as Ingrid straddled his hips. "Fuck, you weren't kidding about better as a vampire." Ingrid laughed breathlessly next to him, kissing him hard and pulling him into the shower. Chest to back as he pressed her to the tiled wall, he knew what she was asking when Ingrid pushed her hair aside and told him to bite her. "Is it me, or the power you want?" Bertrand had told him - whoever he bit first would inherit powers almost equal to his.

"Both." The pale arch of her throat was appealing, even without a pulse fluttering beneath it and Adam felt his fangs pulse and drop, Ingrid's body shaking in pleasure and anticipation against his as he pressed his fangs to her neck. This was a monumentally bad idea, but marking Ingrid as his was a deep, dark desire he had and it pushed him to bite, sinking his fangs down as they both shivered in climax. Shaking teens cleaned themselves up, and Adam rubbed gently at the marks on her neck. "I'm sorry if that hurt." "Worth it. Your turn?" Her thumb pressed against his neck, asking if she could place a more public claim on his skin. "Save it for when I'm eighteen, it'll mean more when I'm the ultimate power." Ingrid smirked as she kissed him, though they separated and dressed again soon after.

"You rest, I'll see you tomorrow." Ingrid looked at him in confusion as he turned to leave, fingers on her neck where he had bitten her. "Bertrand said the power shift can be a rough ride, I just don't think you'll get the sleep you need if I stay." He left her with a wink, dashing off before he could succumb to staying. Bertrand was the only one waiting when he came back up to the throne room. "Busy?" "Not anymore. Ready?" "Are you certain about this?" "We've been over this. Did you sort everything?" Bertrand nodded, his eyes hard on Adams. "Did you bite her?" "What does that matter?" "Answer me!" His tutor had never raised his voice at Adam, not once. Before now. "Yes. Why?" "Well it makes my job much harder." "Impossible?" "Of course not." "Good. We'll start upstairs, two birds one stone."

They finished quickly, and Adam dropped his bags in the throne room, Erika fed, changed and strapped securely to his chest. "Done with your father. Now Ingrid." Holding his daughter tightly, Adam looked around. "Do it. I'll make sure no evidence is left." Tearing down the calender in the kitchen, Adam tossed it in the fireplace with the pizza boxes and levitated his coffin back to the crypt. Erika started chewing on his tie, so he placated her with a pacifier as they waited. Bertrand returned quickly, nodding seriously at Adam. "Done. You?" "Ready when you are." Bertrand pulled on his own backpack, matching Adam as he shrugged his on and held the baby bag in his free hand. "Hold on baby girl, I got you." Shifting back into his bat form, which felt surprisingly natural as they headed out of a small gap in the wall his father had put in just for this purpose, Adam turned and fast one last look at the castle, another brief glance at his mothers house. Then he pushed away the feeling of loss and guilt, following Bertrand in the night until they landed. "This the place?" "Home sweet home now those four have no idea who you or Erika are."

-VAI-

 **And that's all folks!**

 **Vl-Adam-Ir is finished!**

 **There may or may not be a sequel... Guess you'll have to wait and see!**


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